Secrets of the Swan
by BigBadWolfTardis
Summary: What if the Time Portal didn't take Emma and Hook back to the Enchanted Forest, but instead took them back in time to before Emma ever arrived in Storybrooke? Stuck in the past with no way back, they decide to change the future for the better. Can they ensure everyone gets their happy endings? Especially if… someone else has followed them back? Time-Travel/AU Seasons 1, 2, and 3.
1. The Time Portal

**Hello : ) Yes,** **I know I'm unbelievable. I practically abandoned this project, and I'm really sorry for that. I still love Once Upon a Time - and for months I've been planning a new story I hope to post in the next few months, but before I start working on it, I feel it's only right I put in some hard work for this story first : )**

 **Now to any new readers, this won't make much sense, but to my older readers, please read the following notes so you'll know what's going on : )**

 **Basically whilst I was away, I've made a decision about how I want to write this story.**

 **To that end, I've decided that I want to start this whole project again. There were a tonne of little things in the original version I wasn't happy with, so my goal is to fix them and iron them out this time around : )**

 **Anyway, for those that are new to this story,** **the pairings for this story will be Emma/Hook, Charming/Snow, Regina/Robin, and Rumple/Belle. Others will most definitely be added later on but those are the main ones for now.**

 **Right now this is a time travel fic in which Emma and Hook and Zelena have all been sent back in time, and have merged with their past selves, effectively taking their own bodies over. It will probably become very AU as changes caused by the trio lead to more changes from other characters, i.e. the Butterfly Effect.**

 **There may even be a couple of OCs at some point, but they probably won't have very important roles. That COULD change but is unlikely too.**

 **Also, what I consider 'canon' to this story are the events of seasons 1, 2 and 3. Anything after that is fair game where this story is concerned, so some elements might stay the same, change, or be done away with completely : )**

 **Anyway, please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, but the idea for this story is : )**

 **I hope you enjoy this story : )**

* * *

 **Secrets Of The Swan**

* * *

 **The Time Portal**

* * *

Emma Swan gritted her teeth as she charged towards the barn, a magnificent beam of swirling orange light reaching up into the sky.

Whatever the hell that funnel of light was, Emma knew it could mean nothing good.

It was exactly things like _this_ which was why she had to take her son, Henry, and get the hell out of the crazy messed up town that was Storybrooke.

It was just far too dangerous to stay.

Even if it meant leaving her parents behind, as well as her baby brother who was barely a day old.

God, having parents and now a baby brother?

Emma still couldn't quite take that in. She'd never had that before. A family. Not until Henry. It just wasn't the life that fate had granted her.

But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

She had to figure out what the hell that light show was.

Killian Jones, or Captain Hook as was his more colourful moniker, just the latest in the long line of men that had shown an interest in her, was right alongside her as Emma stormed towards the site of the disturbance.

As they drew closer, Emma reached into her pocket for her cell phone, wanting to inform her parents that there was a problem, when she noticed she had a voicemail. She pressed the phone to her ear, listening intently. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Whatever's going on in there can't be good" Hook said wearily.

"It's Zelena's Time Portal" she informed him, (Zelena, or the Wicked Witch as she was known of all things, was their latest foe that they had just barely defeated), "David left a message. Somehow, she died and triggered it"

They reached the doors of the barn, which were creaking and shaking, the wooden structure rattling due to the immense power building up inside because of the Time Portal. Emma went to open the doors, but Hook grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, instinctively protective of Emma, "We have to get out of here!"

"Not until we find a way to close it" Emma protested determinedly.

"Have you got your magic back?" Hook demanded, Emma having lost it in order to save his life.

"No!" Emma said quickly.

A little _too_ quickly.

Hook arched an eyebrow but knew now wasn't the time to press it.

"Then we're not bloody well messing with any of this!" he shouted instead of challenging her, "Let's go!"

He tried to pull her away, but it was already too late.

Unable to contain the growing magical pressure of the portal anymore, the barn's doors burst open, and before Emma or Hook could react, they were knocked off their feet; Emma's phone falling out of her grasp.

Then they were being sucked in.

Emma and Hook both screamed as they were pulled towards the portal, but thinking fast, Hook grabbed Emma's hand with his own, before slamming his hook into the ground, managing to halt their progress.

Emma yelled out as the portal sucked at her, her legs already inside the light.

It was eerily reminiscent of that time Neal Cassidy, the man that broke her heart and her able to trust but had fathered her son, had been sucked into a portal created via a magic bean.

"Hold on!" Hook yelled over the tremendous noise.

Emma grunted and strained and screamed with the effort it took just to hold onto the pirate, her heart pounding wildly as she came to the awful conclusion that soon, her grip would fail, and she would be lost.

"I can't!"

She thought of her parents, her new-born sibling, and her son.

 _Henry_.

Images flashed before her eyes as she thought so strongly about the person she loved the most. About whom she'd be leaving behind if the portal washed her away.

 _The life she led with Henry in New York. Such happy and carefree memories. If only they were real._

 _Leaving Storybrooke and the pain of losing her parents all over again to save him from Peter Pan's curse so he wouldn't be alone. But he was worth the pain._

 _The fear she felt when Greg and Tamara had kidnapped him and took him to Neverland. She'd fight a psychotic demon if it meant getting him back._

 _The Evil Queen and the Queen of Hearts trying to take him away from her. Like hell she'd let that happen._

 _Henry eating the Apple-Turnover containing a Sleeping Curse intended for her. She'd only believed in magic because it was her only option to save him._

 _Bonding with him when the curse was in place. Trying to get through to him without making him hate her._

 _Henry showing up at her front door… the very second she wished not to be alone anymore…_

Emma screamed as she lost her grip, and fell into the abyss of time.

Hook stared at the spot where Emma had vanished, his eyes wide with horror.

She was _gone_.

Slipped away just because he hadn't been strong enough to hold onto her.

Guilt, but also a fierce determination, instantly settled in his stomach.

He knew what he had to do.

"One of these days, I'm gonna stop chasing this woman" he gritted his teeth as he ripped his hook out of the ground.

Thinking of nothing but Emma Swan and the time she was heading for, Captain Hook allowed himself to be swept away by the time winds.

His path was now bound to her's… forever…

* * *

The awful sensation was of falling.

For hours or maybe even days, Emma tumbled through the abyss of nothingness, her own screams lost in the rumble of noise that pounded against her body.

It was like the storm and wind, crushing the air from Emma's lungs and pressurizing her flesh, determined to draw blood.

Minutes and Hours, Dimensions and Space, Emma fell through them all.

Colours swam around her in a rainbow, dancing around her as they flashed across her eyes. They were beautiful, and yet so wrong.

 _Nobody_ was ever meant to see them.

They meant bad things to those that crossed their path.

Her skin sparkled as if a live current of static was running through her, so much so that her teeth were chattering from the bizarre sensation.

And it _hurt_.

It hurt so much, it felt as though every single cell in her body was changing, burning, morphing into something else yet also feeling exactly the same.

And just when Emma thought the falling would never end, she was suddenly slammed back into reality.

Everything had stopped spinning.

The noises in her head were gone.

So were her own screams of pain.

She also felt solid again; something she hadn't felt as she fell through everything.

Moaning something incomprehensible, Emma immediately passed out, and darkness consumed her world once more.

* * *

Emma groaned as she slowly came to a long time later.

Her throat burned and her eyelids felt heavy, but eventually she managed to open her eyes. She blinked furiously against the horrible florescent light hanging over her.

What the hell?

Was she in the hospital?

No.

She wasn't in a bed. She was lying on the cold tiles of someone's kitchen floor.

Great, now it looked like she had broken in somewhere.

Just what she needed.

Getting arrested for trespassing.

How the hell had she ended up in this state anyway?

What the hell had happened?

She reached up and used one of the kitchen counters to support herself. She wobbled on her feet, trying to get her balance back.

She managed it after a few seconds.

Then a barrage of memories came back to her.

She remembered _everything_.

Leaving the diner, talking with Hook, seeing the funnel of light, hearing the message it was the Wicked Witch's Time Portal, before finally getting sucked in.

Now she was stuck somewhere without Henry… _AGAIN!_

"No" she whispered, horrified and not willing to accept it, "No!"

She slumped against the counter for support and banged her head off one of the cupboards to let out some of her frustration.

Why did this have to happen _now_?

This was EXACTLY the type of thing that did NOT happen outside of Storybrooke!

Scowling, Emma eventually arrived at three questions that she needed answering.

One, Where the hell was she?

Two, _When_ the hell was she?

And three, How the hell was she going to get back?

She looked around at the place where the Portal had taken her too.

It seemed like your average everyday apartment, only it lacked any personal touches or sentimentality.

Like it was just a place to sleep and nothing more.

There was something oddly familiar about the whole place though…

The _when_ was less challenging.

Judging by the appliances scattered around the kitchen, she was still in fairly modern times. A few things were outdated by a couple of years, but still recent.

She breathed in relief, thanking her lucky stars she hadn't ended up in medieval times or even worse, the future.

As for the how to get back, Emma was stumped.

This apartment didn't exactly reek of being in a land with magic, and she would _definitely_ need magic to get back.

In fact, it looked _astonishingly_ like her old apartment before she had gone to Storybrooke.

Her jaw dropped wide open.

It didn't just look like her old apartment.

It WAS her old apartment.

"What the hell?" she breathed as she looked around the kitchen she hadn't been in for years now.

Her eyes landed on the microwave, which reflected her image back at her.

She frowned at the sight of herself in a tight red dress.

She most certainly had NOT been wearing that before she'd ended up here.

What the hell was going on?!

As she pondered over this latest development, her eyes caught sight of a small cardboard box set upon the table behind her, the microwave reflecting it at her.

Curious, Emma headed over to it and slid the lid off. Her eyes widened in shock.

Inside was a small cupcake.

A very _familiar_ cupcake.

"This is… not possible" Emma muttered to herself in disbelief, "This has happened before. The red dress and the cupcake and…"

And Henry.

This was exactly like the night that Henry had come to find her and she'd taken him back to Storybrooke, right after she had made her birthday wish.

Emma's eyes widened as an impossible idea came to her.

"That's it!"

She rushed over to the draw where she remembered she had kept the matches in this place, and returned with a small blue candle shaped like a star and a box of matches.

"This is crazy enough to work. I hope it does" Emma muttered.

She carefully placed the candle on top of the cupcake, before striking a match and igniting the candle.

Putting the match out and the box down, Emma leaned down until her chin was resting on the counter, her eyes scrunched up tightly as she focused every fibre of her being into making this wish work.

 _I wish my family will find me._

Emma blew out the candle, and tensed, expecting it to have worked and to feel a tug at her body, signalling she was being sucked back through the Time Portal to where she came from.

But sadly, Emma Swan knew from a harsh life the bitter taste of disappointment better than anyone, and right now, it was threatening to swallow her whole.

Her eyes snapping open, Emma kicked the counter angrily, needing to vent her frustration that her idea had fallen through.

All that happened was she now felt a sharp pain in her foot to add to her list of problems.

The doorbell rang.

Hissing in anger and pain and trying not to cry at the fact that her only idea hadn't worked, Emma sighed as she hobbled down the hall to answer the door.

Her eyes bulged out of her head when she saw who it was.

 _No way… there is no WAY that getting back to him could be this easy._

But something wasn't right.

The visitor, who was none other than _her son_ , Henry, didn't look like he had barely an hour ago.

He was wearing different clothes, much like Emma herself, and he was shorter by a couple of inches.

"Err…" Emma oh-so-intelligently said- but to be fair, she was thrown by Henry's different yet strikingly familiar appearance.

"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked.

Emma's jaw threatened to drop wide open.

What the hell?!

Why did Henry need to ask her _that_?!

She was his _mother_ for god's sake!

He knew her name.

What the hell had happened to her precious little boy to make him _forget_ her?!

Another curse?!

"What… I mean, _yeah_ … but…" Emma spluttered, dread building in her stomach.

"My name's Henry" he said, as if she didn't know that already.

He then said three words which made the situation oh-so-horrifically clear to poor Emma.

"I'm your son"

* * *

 **And there's the prologue.**

 **I know this is practically identical to the original version of the first chapter, but I felt it set up the story well, and I saw no real reason to change it : )**

 **Anyway, I'm sorry if me restarting this project annoys anyone, but I really do think this approach is in the best interests of this story : ) I can't promise to update regularly, but I can promise to put more effort into trying : )**

 **Finally, please leave a review on your way out as they always brighten my day, and motivate me to work harder on getting the next chapter up : )**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	2. Their First Meeting, Again

**Hello : ) So here's the next chapter** **: ) I know it's a little short, but for now I want to keep the chapters at roughly this length or a little longer, until we get a little further into the story : )**

 **I'd like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter. All the support people show this story is amazing and greatly appreciated : )**

 **Please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, and** **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Their First Meeting, Again**

* * *

In the time it took Emma to realise that her jaw was hanging wide open, Henry had easily side-stepped her, and was now walking into the living room of the apartment Emma had never called home.

"I'm sorry… _what?!_ " she cried in shock.

Henry, pausing by the sofa, turned to look at her as she walked over to him, her eyes wide with panic.

Misinterpreting her disbelief, Henry heaved a sigh as he began to explain.

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" he asked calmly.

Emma just stood there, staring at him, horror rising in her gut as she began to realise what was going on, why Henry didn't have any recognition of her in his eyes.

"That was me".

Emma stared at him, tears threatening to fall.

Her son didn't remember her… no… he had _never met_ _her_ yet.

THIS was their first meeting.

Because she had fallen through the time portal, none of it had happened yet.

But if that was true, where was her past self?

And for that matter, where was Hook? Had he managed to escape the portal's pull on him?

Eventually, after a drawn out speechless moment, Emma regained enough sense to realise that standing there gawping wasn't going to get her any answers.

She had to figure out what the hell was happening, but first, perhaps a moment to compose herself was in order, lest she start sobbing.

"Wait right there kid, I'll just be a moment" she said, forcing herself to be calm.

She turned on her heel and briskly walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Slumping against the wood, a choked sob escaped Emma, and she furiously rubbed at her eyes.

 _No_. She would NOT cry.

But Henry didn't remember _any_ of their time together.

No, it hadn't actually happened yet… oh god, what about her parents?! In this time, they were still cursed! The entire town was cursed! The curse wasn't yet broken!

She had to save them!

Practically flying across the room, Emma all but ripped herself out of her red dress and was mid-way through changing into a pair of jeans and a jumper when she paused, a new thought striking her as she looked into her full-length body mirror which hung on the wardrobe door.

She gently smushed her cheeks and examined her hair, running her hands up and down her sides as she tried to take in what had happened to her.

She could tell, even by a simple glance, that her body was different.

Whilst she had never been fat or anything but beautiful, Emma knew that this body wasn't as toned up or muscled as the one she'd had before going through the Time Portal.

She groaned as she realised what had happened, and where her past self was.

 _She_ was her past self.

She was definitely herself, she hadn't become somebody else, but this was the her that hadn't gone through any law enforcement training.

It was like her real self had merged into her past self's body, completely taking her over and retaining her memories of events that had happened… _would_ happen… god, this was all so confusing!

"Hey, you have any juice?" Henry called from the living room.

Emma groaned again.

She didn't have time right now to just sit down and think. She had to try and deal with this mess that had become her life. She didn't have time to figure out some sort of plan.

Right now she had to get Henry back home and figure out how to get back to her own time.

"Never mind" Henry called again, "Found some".

Emma cursed under her breath.

She couldn't tell him, and that broke her heart.

But right now, Henry hadn't even been in the same room as her for a full two minutes.

If she started spouting off about how she was a time-traveller, she would most definitely scare him away… or would she?

Henry was the Truest Believer.

Perhaps she COULD tell him and he'd believe her… no, it was far too soon.

Maybe once she took him home and convinced him that she believed in him and the curse.

And she would, because this time, she WASN'T going to let him down.

Steeling herself for pretending not to know him for the next few hours, Emma quickly finished getting changed, adding her red leather jacket and boots to her outfit, and exited the room.

Henry, who was drinking juice straight from the bottle, set it down and looked at her in surprise.

"You changed your clothes" he commented in surprise.

Emma let out a chuckle.

"Observant kid. Yes I changed my clothes… because I need to take you home. I know for a fact that you got adopted and I'm sure your mother is worried sick about you" she replied.

Emma winced as she realised that right now, whatever semblance of friendship she and Regina had been developing, now hadn't happened either.

Which meant that she'd be back to hating Emma's guts again.

Terrific.

"I doubt that" Henry grumbled, before brightening up, "Wait, you mean you'll come home with me?"

Emma laughed out loud at that.

Oh, if only she had known how special her little boy was the first time around, she'd have never labelled him crazy, she'd have believed him straight away about the curse.

She would always regret that she hadn't.

"Well it's either that or I sit your butt on a bus, which you'll probably force to let you off at the nearest stop and you'll get another one right back to here" Emma smirked, "At least taking you myself ensures you get there safely".

"That's so cool!" Henry cried happily, "That's the whole reason I came here. I want you to come home with me".

"Might I ask why?" Emma 'asked'.

"I'm not sure you're ready yet" was Henry's reply.

Emma inwardly scoffed.

That was such a typical answer from Henry.

"Okay… whatever you say. Now, where's home?" she pretended to ask.

"Storybrooke. It's in Maine" Henry 'told' her.

"Storybrooke? As in… Storybook? What a fairy-tale name that is" Emma couldn't resist a bit of teasing.

Henry's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, but he apparently brushed her words off as a coincidence because he didn't comment on it, instead choosing to reply cautiously.

"I guess so. Maybe the person that named it loved books" he shrugged, trying, and failing, to be nonchalant.

Emma smirked.

Subtly was never Henry's strong point.

"Maybe" Emma agreed with a smile, "All righty then. Let's get you back to Storybrooke".

Spotting the wide smile on Henry's face as they exited the apartment, Emma felt a surge of… she wasn't sure what it was… hope, maybe?

Whatever it was, Emma suddenly felt that maybe this situation wasn't quite as dire as it had seemed before.

At least this curse hadn't made Henry hate her or anything.

* * *

Emma quickly decided that, by comparison, this ride too Storybrooke was even more awkward than the first time she had made this journey.

It was just… this was her son sitting next to her!

Her little boy that she'd broken a curse to save, had scaled a beanstalk and battled the evil queen's mother to get back to, had gone to Neverland to rescue… and now he had no idea about any of it.

None of it had ever happened.

It made Emma want to cry.

And the worst part was, she couldn't mention any of it. Not yet, or she'd freak Henry out big time.

And it hurt so badly.

She wanted to tell him and she couldn't!

And so they were driving in silence. Apparently it wasn't just grating on her nerves though, because Henry was quick to break it before it got to intense.

"I'm hungry" the boy announced suddenly, "Can we stop somewhere?"

"I don't think so kid" Emma chuckled, "How do you think it'll look if your parents have the cops looking out for you, and you're sitting in a diner with me? Do you think I wanna spend my night in jail?"

"Guess not" Henry muttered, and Emma smiled.

She reached into the side-compartment of the driver's door, and pulled out a bag of hard-boiled sweets.

"Here" she said, passing the bag to Henry.

"Thanks" he beamed enthusiastically.

He set the bag of sweets down on his storybook, which lay open in his lap.

Emma eyed it, and going with her gut feeling and her memories of this journey in the previous timeline, decided now was the time to bring it up.

"What's that?" she nodded at the book.

"I'm not sure you're ready yet" Henry told her seriously.

Emma smirked, unable to resist a bit of teasing.

"Well it's not my bedtime, but…" she smiled.

"That's not what I meant!" Henry whined, realising she was taking the mickey, "I just meant that… it's dangerous".

"Dangerous? What's so dangerous about fairy tales?" Emma, loathed that she already knew the dangers and couldn't even mention that, pretended to ask.

"They're not fairy tales. They're true" Henry told her, deadly serious, "Every story in this book actually happened".

"I see" Emma said slowly.

"I'm not lying!" Henry said quickly, defensively.

"Calm down kid, I never said you were" Emma chuckled.

"Good, because I'm not" Henry almost pouted.

Emma paused momentarily, thinking hard.

She may not be able to just blurt out the truth about the whole time travelling thing, but perhaps she could tweak this situation just a little bit to her own advantage.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret kid" she said, before she could question her decision, "There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying and… as mad as it sounds… I don't think you are".

"Y-you believe me?" Henry gawped at her, almost speechless, "Nobody at home believes me".

"You've been shouting about this around this Storybrooke place?" Emma raised her eyebrows.

"People need to know the truth" Henry shrugged.

"Yeah, but kid, think about it. You're asking people to believe that fairy tales are real… that's a lot to swallow" Emma said gently.

"You believe" Henry stated.

"I believe you're not lying, there's a difference" Emma reminded him, "Look kid, all I'm saying is there's a more subtle way of getting people to listen to you than shouting louder because you think people aren't listening".

Henry frowned, looking thoughtful, before he smiled.

"You're pretty smart" he eventually remarked, "We'll need that for Operation Cobra".

"What's that?" Emma 'asked'.

"I'm not sure you're ready yet" Henry repeated.

Despite the situation she found herself in, Emma threw back her head and let out a long hard laugh.

And to her delight, she found that the car journey wasn't the slightest bit awkward anymore.

* * *

Emma couldn't help but smile slightly as she crossed the town line and drove her bug into Storybrooke.

She felt a strange feeling run through her body that momentarily disorientated her, before she realised what it was.

It was the first sparks of her magic beginning to flare up.

That was a thought, Emma mused silently.

Would she be able to use magic before the curse was broken?

Jefferson HAD said that she'd brought it with her, and so had August.

If she couldn't figure out a way back to the future, it was something to look into.

But right now she had to get Henry home.

That was more important at the moment.

"Okay, kid" Emma started, knowing she had to ask this obvious question for appearances' sake, "How about an address?"

"Forty-four Not Telling You Street" was the smart reply she received.

Emma slammed her foot on the breaks and got out of the bug, slamming the door behind her.

Her head jerked upwards as a fuse box on a power line above her head exploded in a shower of sparks.

What the hell?

Emma felt that magical tingle again, and glanced up at the fuse again, slowly putting the pieces together.

She couldn't have done that, could she?

Surely not.

But was that just a coincidence?

Or did she really have her magic back, BEFORE magic was brought by Rumplestiltskin?

She was forced to file the thought away for later inspection as Henry got out of the yellow bug too.

"Listen kid, this isn't a game" Emma started, getting the tiniest bit frustrated, "Your family must be worried sick and it's almost…" She looked up at the clock tower and saw its hands frozen in place once more, just more proof that she really had gone back in time, "8:15… how's that possible? I know for a fact you didn't even get to my place until after that".

"Wow. You _are_ really smart" Henry smiled at her, "Nobody in this town's ever noticed, except me, and even I only noticed recently. That clock hasn't moved my whole life. Time's frozen here".

"Excuse me?" Emma pretended to be confused.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse" Henry 'explained', "She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here".

"Hold on, this is the fairy tale thing again, yeah?" Emma asked, continuing once Henry nodded, "Let me get this straight… an Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here?"

"Yeah, and now they're trapped" Henry smiled, pleased she was keeping up.

"Okay… so they were cursed, and what… it brought them all here and froze them in time? Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine… not exactly what you'd expect a curse to do, but okay" Emma shrugged nonchalantly, keeping up her act.

"It's true!" Henry insisted, fearing she was doubting him.

"I never said it wasn't" Emma winked at him, and Henry visibly relaxed, "But, if this place is cursed, why don't all the fairy tale characters just leave?"

"They can't" Henry 'told' her, "If they try, bad things happen".

"Henry!" they heard someone calling.

Turning, Emma and Henry saw Archie Hopper, or more accurately, Jiminy Cricket, approaching with his Dalmatian, Pongo.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he reached them, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Archie" Henry smiled up at him.

"Who's this?" Archie smiled at Emma, who returned it.

"I'm Emma, Emma Swan" she extended her hand and Archie wrung it warmly.

"Archie Hopper, the town's psychologist" he introduced himself, "Might I ask what you are doing with Henry, Miss Swan?"

"She's my mom, Archie" Henry piped up, and Archie's mouth fell open.

"Oh" Archie faltered.

Emma remembered with a jolt that he knew she'd given Henry up at birth.

"I see" Archie said slowly.

"You know where he lives?" Emma asked to change the subject.

"Yeah, sure. Just, ah, right up on Mifflin Street" Archie looked relieved for the change of subject too, "The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block".

"You're the son of the Mayor?" Emma pretended to be shocked.

"Uh, maybe" Henry shrugged.

"Hey, where were you today, Henry?" Archie asked, "Because you missed your session".

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip" Henry said apologetically.

Archie sighed and knelt down to Henry's level, looking him in the eye.

"Henry. What did I tell you about lying?" he asked in a gentle yet firm, almost parental tone, "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything".

"Good advice" Emma commented, "Well, I really should be getting him home".

"Yeah, sure" Archie nodded, standing up straight, "Well, it was very nice to meet you Miss Swan. Have a good night and, uh, you be good, Henry".

And with that he resumed his walk with Pongo.

They watched him until he was out of sight, before Emma turned to Henry.

"So that's your shrink?" she asked playfully.

"I'm not crazy" Henry pouted.

"I didn't say that. Just, he doesn't exactly scream 'I'm a cursed fairy tale character' to me. Care to explain?" Emma 'asked'.

"He doesn't know he IS a fairy tale character, that's why. He can't help me, because it's him that needs help" Henry 'told' her.

"Hold on, are you saying that the curse, what, erased all his memories before bringing him here?" Emma 'asked'.

"Yep" Henry nodded, "But not just him. It's everyone. Nobody can remember who they really are".

"I guess it wouldn't be much of a curse if all it did was bring people to a more modern world. That's more of a blessing" Emma said slowly as she got back into the bug, "Okay kid, let's say I believe all this… for curiosity's sake… who's Archie supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket" Henry replied as he got in and buckled his seatbelt.

"Right, the psychology thing" Emma smiled, "I guess that makes sense… what about you?"

"I'm not in the book, and neither are you. That why we're the only ones who can save everyone" Henry said as they drove off again.

And they would, Emma silently vowed.

She'd make damn sure of it.

* * *

 **And there we go : )**

 **I know that not much has changed here from the original script, but some important stuff has. Emma is slowly laying the ground-work with Henry and believing in him, and that'll make some important differences to the timeline later on : )**

 **What do people think about the possibility of Emma already having her magic?**

 **Do you guys think I should run with that? It could mean a lot of changes to the timeline later on, but I'd love to here your opinions and thoughts on the matter before I decide if Emma should have her magic or not before the curse breaks : )**

 **Anyway, thank you once again to those that reviewed the last chapter, and please leave another on your way out. Like I said, I love reading your thoughts and opinions, and I'd love to know what you think about the whole magic thing ; )**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	3. Ghosts

**Hi guys : ) Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. All the opinions and feedback on whether or not Emma should have her magic at this point were really useful : ) I still haven't made a decision yet, but its helpful to know what the readers of the story think : )**

 **Anyway, I know this chapter is a little short, but this was honestly the best place to end it. You'll see why at the end of the chapter : )**

 **Please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, and I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Ghosts**

* * *

Emma mentally braced herself as she parked her bug outside Regina's house.

Once upon a time the idea of being friends with the Evil Queen, or even Madam Mayor Regina Mills, would have greatly disturbed Emma.

But she couldn't deny that during the whole Wicked Witch debacle, some semblance of friendship had formed between the two of them.

All gone now though.

Emma couldn't help but feel sad about that.

It wasn't like she'd had many friends throughout her life.

Perhaps it was time to change that too.

She looked up at the impressive house apprehensively.

Emma wasn't exactly looking forward to having to deal with the Ice Bitch again.

But she had no choice.

She had to return Henry to her.

As much as she was loathed to do it.

"Let's get this show on the road, kid" Emma said wearily as she unclipped her seatbelt.

They both got out of the bug.

"Please don't take me back there" Henry pleaded.

"I have to. I'm sure your family is worried sick about you" Emma insisted.

"I don't have a family. Just a mom and she's evil" Henry scowled angrily.

"Evil? Wait a minute! Your mom is the Evil Queen that cursed everyone?" Emma pretended to act shocked.

The boy nodded grimly.

"Now do you see why I don't wanna go back?" Henry demanded miserably, "She doesn't love me. She only pretends to".

Emma sighed and knelt down to his level, looking him dead in the eye.

Despite knowing how much of a heartless bitch Regina could be when she wanted to be, despite knowing some of the awful things she had done as the Evil Queen, Emma knew, without a doubt, that Regina truly loved Henry.

Of that she had no doubt.

"Kid… do you really believe your mom is _evil_? That she honestly doesn't care about you? She raised you from a baby. Why would she do that, if she didn't genuinely love you?" Emma asked gently.

She wanted her son to understand that although his other mother wasn't always the best of people, she DID genuinely love him too.

Henry seemed to struggle for an answer, but before he could reply, the front door to the house burst open, and looking weak-kneed with relief, Regina came running out.

"Henry!" she gasped, sweeping him up into her arms and hugging him tightly.

Emma sighed when Henry didn't return the hug.

Her kid was just as stubborn as she was.

"Henry… Are you okay?" Regina was frantic with worry, "Where have you been? What happened?"

Henry angrily pushed her away, stepping out of her embrace.

Emma noticed how hurt Regina seemed by the action, and she felt a pang of sympathy for the other woman.

"I found my _real_ mom!" the boy spat at Regina.

Then he dodged around her and ran into the house.

A speechless Regina looked up at Emma.

"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?" she stuttered, stunned.

"Hi…" Emma replied awkwardly, unsure how to approach this delicate situation.

If she played this right, perhaps Regina wouldn't be such an awful cow to her in the future.

A girl could hope after all.

And if Emma couldn't get back to her own time, some changes like that might help in the long run.

And then she heard something that made her heart stop.

"I'll just go…check on the lad" a male voice, a very _familiar_ voice, said calmly, "Make sure he's alright".

Emma's neck turned so fast it was a miracle she didn't break it.

Standing there in the doorway; tall, trim, and devilishly handsome, looking just like he had the last time she'd seen him - in his coffin - was Graham Humbert.

Emma gasped, a wave of emotions hitting her like a tidal wave at seeing her old boyfriend alive again.

Her heart was pounding against her ribcage.

Her voice dried in her throat.

Tears stung at her eyes and she hastily fought them off before either of them spotted anything amiss with her reaction.

But he was _here_.

He was _alive_ again.

No, he just hadn't died yet.

It was like seeing a ghost.

Emma suddenly found herself questioning her will to go back to the future.

How could she, when right now, she had a chance to save Graham… to save so many people… from the cruel fates they had received?

Could she really call herself 'The Saviour' if she doomed Graham to die again, simply by going back to her own time?

This added a whole new complexity to this dilemma.

And Emma knew it was going to take time to come to a decision over this.

Regina, still apparently stunned by Henry finding his birth mother, not to mention bringing her back with him, finally managed to pull herself together enough to speak.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" she asked, plastering on an obviously fake smile.

"Got anything stronger?" Emma, still in shock over seeing Graham alive again, weakly asked.

Regina gave a tight smile and turned back into her house.

Stealing her nerves, and trying desperately hard to look at anything but Graham, Emma followed.

She briefly closed her eyes as Graham shut the door after following her in.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Not by a long shot.

"Please, take a seat" Regina ushered Emma into the living room.

Thankfully Graham didn't join them. Emma was just too anxious to deal with talking to him right now.

She would of course, but it was just too much to process right now.

As Emma settled herself on the couch, Regina went over to a cabinet and returned with two glasses and a bottle of cider.

She poured them both a glass before taking a seat opposite Emma.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name" Regina said politely, not that Emma missed the coldness in her voice.

"Emma Swan. And you are?" Emma 'asked'.

"Mayor Mills, or Regina Mills if you prefer" Regina replied.

"Do you know how he found me?" Emma decided to play this carefully, so she'd start by testing the waters.

"No idea. When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed" Regina said, before her eyes narrowed slightly, "I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact".

"Things were a lot more complicated back then" Emma replied uneasily.

Although thinking about it, she wasn't so sure about that.

At least back then, when she was just a normal person with a normal life, she didn't have to deal with time travel and magic and who knows what other kind of crap.

She suddenly found herself longing for a normal life like that again.

Not that she'd give up her son or their family.

Not even for an entire realm.

Regina apparently wasn't interested in listening to whatever 'complicated' meant.

"And the father?" she pressed on.

"There was one" Emma shrugged, before inwardly gasping.

If Graham was alive… then Neal was too!

If she couldn't get back, or chose not to go back, then she could save him too!

Henry wouldn't have to lose his birth father!

"Do I need to be worried about him?" Regina asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Nope" Emma quickly shook her head, "He doesn't even know".

"Do I need to be worried about _you_ , Miss Swan?" Regina's coldness wasn't even masked now.

"Define 'worried about me' please" Emma said carefully, taking a sip of her cider.

Regina did not look amused.

In fact, she looked rather impatient and close to snapping.

"Well, I'd hate for you to mistake all this as an invitation back into his life" she put it bluntly.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that Miss Mills. If by 'invitation back into his life' you think I want to take Henry away from you, I can assure you that isn't what I want at all" Emma told her, thinking that if she could convince Regina of this at this stage, she might not be such a pain in the arse later on.

"Then what exactly is it that you _do_ want Miss Swan?!" Regina asked heatedly, just as Graham came down the stairs.

He glanced between the two women nervously.

"Err, is everything okay down here ladies?" he asked.

Emma fidgetted nervously.

She was still trying incredibly hard to look at anything but the handsome sheriff.

It hurt her too much to look at him when she knew what would happen to him.

Or at least, would if she didn't do anything to stop it.

God, why did her life always have to be so damn complicated?!

"Everything is fine, thank you Sheriff" Regina said tartly.

"Riiight" He dragged the word out, clearly not believing her words, "Well, Madam Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine".

"Thank you, Sheriff" Regina replied, without taking her hawk-like glare off Emma.

Graham took this as his signal to leave and Emma felt relieved.

She REALLY wasn't sure how to act being in the same room with him again.

It was all just so… _daunting_.

She needed time to think this through.

She didn't want to mess up time itself after all.

"I repeat Miss Swan, what exactly is it you want?" Regina forced some calmness into her voice.

"I'm just concerned, that's all. Henry… if he was truly happy, he wouldn't have come to find me. The fact that he did… it worries me" Emma said delicately.

"You think my son isn't happy with me?!" Regina snapped at her defensively.

"No, that's not what I meant. When I gave Henry up, I was a teenager with no job and no future. I gave him up so he'd have his best chance" Emma explained before being cut over.

She resisted the urge to scowl. Typical Regina. She never did have the best manners.

"Exactly. I want the same thing for him too. I had a job long before I adopted him. Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom" Regina explained, "So I push for order. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"

Emma could appreciate the irony of the question more this time around.

"Interesting choice of wording. 'Evil'. I'd think you were evil if you clung onto Henry like he was an object and not a person" Emma replied.

The former queen, whilst obviously seething at the insinuation on the inside, forced a tight smile.

"I like to think I don't do that" Regina remarked.

"Well, either way, he's got my interest peaked. And I have been looking for a vacation from the big city life, so I think I'll stick around your little Storybrooke for a couple of days" Emma smiled.

She barely resisted the urge to snort as anger stirred in Regina's eyes.

"And you think that's wise Miss Swan?" Regina asked angrily.

"It'll give you a chance to talk to Henry, without the risk of him running back to Boston after me again" Emma shrugged nonchalantly.

She could see that despite loathing it, Regina could see the logic in this.

"I see. Just to be clear, Henry is _my_ son, Miss Swan. He has been ever since you gave him up. I don't think that you spending a few days in our quiet little town will overwrite the decade I've spent with him, do you?" Regina almost made it sound like a challenge.

She really shouldn't have though.

After all, Emma Swan never had been one who could turn down a challenge.

"I'm sure it won't" Emma smiled tightly.

She finished her drink and set the glass down on the table.

"Well, it's getting late, so I guess I should go find a bed-n-breakfast to stay at" Emma said politely.

"Yes, I suppose you should" Regina, not very happy about it, nodded.

They both got to their feet and Regina led Emma over to the front door.

"Do let me know when you're leaving, so we can put this to bed once and for all" Regina held the door open for her.

"Will do" Emma stepped out into the night.

"Oh, and one last thing" Regina called.

Emma turned back to the house, to find Regina sneering down her nose at her from the doorway.

"Welcome to Storybrooke, Miss Swan" the mayor smirked.

She then slammed the door in Emma's face.

Smirking, and knowing that could have gone a lot worse - i.e, the two of them tearing each others' hair out - Emma started walking up the garden path, pausing at the gate.

She looked back up at the house and saw Henry at his bedroom window.

She was about to call out to him, to tell him that she wasn't leaving, but he turned away from the window and the light went off before she could.

Her heart shattered at the sight.

Sighing miserably, Emma turned and got into her bug, and began driving through the streets of Storybrooke, just… thinking.

She wasn't going to leave town.

She wasn't even close to the road leading out of town this time around.

Because she knew that leaving was no longer a possibility.

She _had_ to either get back to the future or figure out what the hell she was going to do if she was really stuck reliving this time again.

Plus she had no intention of crashing into the town's sign and getting arrested for drink driving, thank you very much.

Emma's heart clenched painfully as this thought led her mind against its will to Graham.

Tears stung at her eyes.

Even after all this time, it still hurt so much to think about him, and they'd never even got further than a kiss.

Emma shook those haunting thoughts again.

She had to figure out what to do about him.

Could she really let Graham die again by going back to the future?

And what about Neal and all the others who had suffered?

Theoretically she could change some of that.

Did she really deserve to call herself 'The Saviour' if she didn't?

Needing time to clear her head, and REALLY needing a stiff drink after the day she'd just had to endure, Emma decided that, for now, The Rabbit Hole would be her destination.

Somewhere quiet to just be by herself and think.

The alcohol was a nice incentive too.

Plus it would avoid the whole getting arrested thing, and Emma was totally onboard with that.

Driving her car in the direction of the local drinking hole, Emma was only driving for a few minutes before she noticed that once again, just like in the last timeline, Henry had left his book on the passenger seat.

She couldn't help but smile fondly this time around.

"Smart boy" she whispered.

For one moment, Emma considered turning the car around and returning it to Henry right away, despite knowing that in the original timeline she didn't return it to him until the following day.

She wanted - no, _needed_ \- to talk to him.

She had to convince him that she wasn't going anywhere.

Not now, not ever.

But then the mental image of what Regina would say if she turned up on her doorstep again tonight appeared in her mind.

Emma grimaced.

That _really_ wasn't something she wanted to think about.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

No. For now she'd hold onto the book, and return it to Henry tomorrow at his castle, just like she had in the original timeline.

And _then_ she'd talk to him about her staying.

Nodding to herself, Emma was just pulling up outside The Rabbit Hole as she made this decision.

She parked her bug, stored the book underneath the passenger seat so that it would be hidden from view, and disembarked from her car.

Within two minutes, Emma was inside The Rabbit Hole, sitting on a stool at the bar.

An exhausted sigh escaped her.

It certainly had been one hell of a day.

Hopefully when she closed her eyes and woke up tomorrow, this was be nothing more than an bad dream. She'd be back living with her parents, her friendship of sorts with Regina would be restored, and most importantly, Henry would remember her again.

Everything would be as it belonged again.

But for now, she'd have to make do with a drink.

Or perhaps several bottles.

"Excuse me?" she called to the barman, not even sparing him a glance, "Can I get some service here?"

Whatever Emma was expecting, it certainly wasn't the reply she got.

"I'll be there in a second, love" a familiar voice replied.

Emma's head turned so fast it was a miracle she didn't give herself whiplash.

It was impossible.

It simply _couldn't_ be.

But it was.

Emma would know that voice _anywhere_.

Her startled green eyes met sapphire blue ones, and the blood drained from her face.

For what felt like the millionth time that night, Emma's jaw dropped.

" _Hook?!_ "

* * *

 **Boom!**

 **Yeah - I really just did that : )**

 **Readers that read the original version of this story might have known/guessed that was coming, but it is slightly different this time. In the original version, Emma nearly ran Hook over, but I decided to change it this time around : )**

 **So what do you guys think?**

 **Cursed Killian. I know that plenty of people have done it, but mine is going to be a little different considering the whole time-travel aspect of the story : )**

 **Thoughts and opinions on this would be greatly appreciated though : )**

 **And Graham. Poor Graham : ) Let's face it, there's no way Emma would just leave him to die again. Marian is proof of that : )**

 **Don't worry though. I am NOT doing a Emma/Graham shipping. I adore them both as characters, and as friends, but I just don't like them paired together. I could - at a stretch - maybe see them as the type of best friends that get drunk one time and have sex, but nothing beyond that, and there is certainly going to be nothing like that in this story. This will be Emma/Killian all the way : )**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, and please leave one on your way out.**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	4. Tipping Points

**Hey readers : ) So I don't have much to say today, but there is just one small thing that was brought up in a review that I thought would be good to talk about. Basically, I was asked if all the chapters in this story would be from Emma's perspective, and I figured other people might want to know the answer to that as well. The answer is no. As more and more of the characters come into the story, the more different perspectives I'll write from.**

 **For example, this chapter is not from Emma's perspective, but from Hook's : )**

 **Eventually I'm planning on writing from Snow's, Charming's, Regina's, Henry's, Zelena's, Robin's, Rumple's, Belle's and a whole bunch of other characters' points of views too as more events unfold and change due to Emma's and Hook's influence.**

 **I just wanted to tell you guys that, since when I read the review, I figured it would be something you guys might want to know.**

 **Anyway, beyond that there's not much I have to say, other than thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter and this story in general : ) The support is always greatly appreciated, and it does help me to get more chapters wrote and posted.**

 **Please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, and I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Tipping Points**

* * *

Hook stared in horror at the spot where Emma had vanished into the Time Portal.

He couldn't believe just how _easily_ she had slipped away.

It was like he was powerless to stop it.

 _'Stupid bloody useless pirate'_ Hook thought to himself bitterly.

The image of Emma's pleading, terrified face swam before his eyes, and it was almost enough to bring tears to the centuries-old pirate.

But soon that image was replaced by others, as Hook thought about the person that had come to mean so much to him.

 _The look of relief on Emma's face when she saved his life at the cost of her magic. She looked close to tears she was so relieved._

 _Emma drinking the Memory Potion. She had taken a leap of faith for him. He vowed to always return the favour._

 _Emma leaving Storybrooke and driving over the Town Line as the purple smoke wrapped around Hook and everyone else. He should have kept faith that he'd see her again._

 _The kiss they had shared in Neverland. Emma insisted it was nothing but Hook knew different. It had meant something. At least to him it did. And he was sure it had to Emma too._

 _Turning the Jolly Roger around and sailing back to Storybrooke, despite the magical trigger that would doom him with everyone else. But Emma had proved to him he was still capable of caring._

 _The sting when Emma left him chained at the top of the beanstalk. He had thought he meant nothing to her. She had still yet to admit it herself, but Hook knew he had been wrong in that assumption._

 _Meeting Emma and being bested by her. Despite being tied down and threatened to be left to the ogres, Hook couldn't deny just how impressed he had been by the blonde saviour._

But then he thought about how much Emma just wanted a normal peaceful life, with her son.

A safe, carefree, _happy_ existence.

Like she had had before the curse in Storybrooke had broken and magic had come.

Hook was suddenly overcome with the desire to have a life like that too.

A life like that with _her_.

Hook knew what he had to do.

"One of these days, I'm gonna stop chasing this woman" he sighed as he ripped his hook out of the ground.

Thinking strongly of Emma Swan and the normal, peaceful life he wished they could share together, Captain Hook allowed himself to be swept away by the winds of time.

He had no way of knowing that he had just irreversibly changed the lives of everyone in Storybrooke.

Forever.

* * *

The awful sensation was of falling.

For hours or maybe even days, Hook tumbled through the abyss of nothingness, his own screams lost in the rumble of noise that pounded against his body.

It was like the storm and wind, crushing the air from Hook's lungs and pressurizing his flesh, determined to draw blood.

Minutes and Hours, Dimensions and Space, Hook fell through them all.

Colours swam around him in a rainbow, dancing around him as they flashed across his eyes. They were beautiful, and yet so wrong.

 _Nobody_ was ever meant to see them.

They meant bad things to those that crossed their path.

His skin sparkled as if a live current of static was running through him, so much so that his teeth were chattering from the bizarre sensation.

And it _hurt_.

It hurt so much, it felt as though every single cell in his body was changing, burning, morphing into something else yet also feeling exactly the same.

And just when Hook thought the falling would never end, he was suddenly slammed back into reality.

Everything had stopped spinning.

The noises in his head were gone.

So were his own screams of pain.

He also felt solid again; something he hadn't felt as he fell through everything.

Moaning something incomprehensible, Hook immediately passed out, and darkness consumed his world once more.

* * *

 **A Very Long Time Ago – The Enchanted Forest – The Day the Dark Curse was cast.**

* * *

Hook groaned as he slowly came to a long time later.

His throat burned and his eyelids felt heavy, but eventually he managed to open his eyes.

For a split second, he thought he still had them jammed shut.

He was surrounded by total darkness.

Then he realised that he was slumped against a wall in a shadowy room.

But it was no ordinary room.

It was a mausoleum.

 _Lovely_.

He went to take a step forward, wanting to get a better look around to try and find out where the hell he was, but he immediately wobbled and fell back against the wall for support.

What the hell?

Hook was a pirate, and therefore more than capable of downing many flagons of rum and still being able to walk in a straight line.

So why the hell was he feeling like he was about to empty the contents of his stomach all over the floor of… _wherever_ the hell he was?

Then a barrage of memories came back to him.

He remembered _everything_.

Leaving the diner, talking with Emma, seeing the funnel of light, Emma informing him via a message from her father that it was the Wicked Witch's Time Portal, before finally allowing himself to be sucked in after her.

Huffing, Hook quickly arrived at four questions that he desperately needed answering.

One, Where the hell was he?

Two, _When_ the hell was he?

Three, How the hell was he going to get back?

And four, the most important question of all - where the hell was Emma?

He had thought that they would both be flung to the same location since they used the same portal.

So where the hell was she?

Hook squinted through the darkness, trying to see if she was somewhere in the room too.

"Emma?" he called.

And _that_ was the moment that Captain Hook's fate was changed.

That _time_ itself was changed.

All with just one word.

 _One_ word in _one_ place at _one_ moment.

It was a tipping point.

" _Hook_?!" an angry voice barked at him.

Hook whirled around, his body tensed up, ready for a fight if necessary.

Suddenly the room was thrown into light as a fireball appeared, clutched in somebody's hand.

Hook squinted and shielded his eyes.

When the intensity of the light eventually died down, Hook took a good look around the room he had found himself in.

Whatever the pirate had been expecting, it wasn't what he saw.

In fact, the sight was enough to make his jaw drop wide open in horrified shock.

It... _couldn't_ be!

Yet somehow, it was.

The place he had ended up in was not just _any_ old mausoleum.

It was the mausoleum in the Dark Palace.

To be more specific, it was the mausoleum that Regina had built for her mother.

The mausoleum Cora had never used.

And the owner of the voice was somebody that Hook was familiar with as well.

Many people in this land were familiar with her in fact.

After all, the Evil Queen was very well known, and she was standing _right in front of him._

There was no mistaking it.

The woman before him wasn't Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke.

It was _literally_ the Evil Queen!

He was _so_ dead.

"I thought I told you to leave us!" she yelled at him.

 _She did? …What the hell is this… how am I here and… oh no, when is this?! This can't be_ **that** day! Any day but **that** one!

But it was.

He knew deep down in his bones that he had landed back in time on _that_ dreadful day.

His suspicions were confirmed by what Regina was standing next to.

A coffin.

And Hook could see who was in that coffin.

Cora, the Queen of Hearts.

Only she _wasn't_ dead.

Just pretending.

 _Crap. Not this day. Not the day of the Dark Curse_

"Apologies Regina, I -" he stuttered out.

Captain Hook actually _stuttered_.

He couldn't help it though. Normally he wasn't a man that scared easily, but damn, Regina could be very intimidating when she wanted to be.

And oh boy did she want to be today.

"And when did I give you permission to use my given name?!" _Queen_ Regina was getting angrier and angrier, "A lowly, filthy pirate like you shall only call me 'Your majesty', and don't you _ever_ forget it!"

 _'She's even worse without the sensible pant suits'_ Hook thought mildly to himself.

"Now tell me pirate, just what exactly do you think you're doing here when your queen ordered you to leave?" Regina got all up in his face and glared at him.

Hook was forced to think very fast.

"My apologies, your majesty. I thought I heard… an intruder… I came back down to ensure your safety" Hook quickly lied.

Regina scoffed in disbelief.

"What do you take me for Hook? _An idiot_?! As if an intruder could break into my palace without me knowing about it! I caught you didn't I?!" she snarled in his face, and Hook worked hard to suppress a gulp, "And even if there was, do I look like the type of woman that needs a one-handed wonder with a drinking problem to save me?!"

Hook could feel his mild fear of her turning into annoyance now.

This was just too much.

All this time travel _nonsense_ was too much.

To find himself stuck in the past, with no idea how to get back, and worse than that to be all alone.

He didn't even know if Emma was safe.

And _that_ tore at him in a way he hadn't felt since Milah had died.

It almost brought tears to his eyes.

And here was Regina, who had _everything_ land in her lap and _still_ not be satisfied, screaming in his face for accidently interrupting her.

Her attitude was making his blood _boil_.

And whenever his emotions were thrown into turmoil, Captain Hook had never been able to control himself.

"No. You look like the type of woman that needs a one-handed wonder with a drinking problem to do her dirty work for her!" Hook snapped back, and Regina looked outraged at being spoken too in such a manner, "What's the matter, _your majesty_? Afraid to get your own hands messy? Or are you just afraid of mummy dearest?!"

Regina's jaw dropped in disbelief.

 _'Serves you right too, bitch'_ Hook thought smugly.

The pirate would pay for his moment of fun however.

 _Dearly_.

Practically swelling with rage, a furious Regina clenched her fist in the air, and Hook gasped as he felt a pressure on his throat as all the air was stripped from his lungs.

Regina was so angry, she could hardly even _speak_.

"Y-you… Ho-how _dare_ you… you… stinking, thieving, dishonourable, _worthless_ waste of bone and skin!" Regina shrieked, angrier than Hook had ever seen her. "I, the Royal Queen, only wish to say goodbye to my mother, who _you_ killed, in peace! And what do I get; a sneaky eavesdropper listening in on a private moment, and then you dare throw insults about my relationship with my mother at me?! You know nothing about me or my mother, pirate! _Nothing!"_

Regina waved her hand and sent Hook flying backwards.

His back connected with the cold stone wall behind him, and he let out a groan of pain.

Hook sank to the foot of the wall, trying to get some air back into his lungs.

Unfortunately, Regina wasn't quite as keen as he was for that to happen.

She promptly began magically choking him again.

"R-e-gi-na…" Hook choked for air that just wouldn't come.

"AND I TOLD YOU TO ONLY ADDRESS ME AS 'YOUR MAJESTY' YOU SEA URCHIN!" Regina bellowed.

She clenched her fist in the air even tighter.

Hook clawed desperately at his throat, his hook leaving a few painful scratches on his neck.

The pirate was slowly starting to turn blue in the face.

He could feel the life ebbing out of him.

And yet all he could think about was Emma.

How he'd never see her again.

A tear rolled down his cheek at the thought.

Just when the pirate thought it would surely end, Regina released her hold on him.

Coughly harshly, Hook gulped in great mouthfuls of air.

His troubles were far from over yet though.

For after barely two seconds of relief, Regina loomed over him, looking him dead in the eye.

The look on her face was enough to chill the entire room.

"And to think, I was going to give you the closest thing anyone can get to a happy ending in the place I'm taking us all too, as a reward for killing my mother" the queen said in a deadly whisper that actually chilled Hook's blood, "Well forget about it, _Pirate_ , because now, I'm not only going to ensure your life is _miserable_ in the new world… I'm going to make sure that you _never_ get your vengeance on Rumplestiltskin".

And with that promise, Regina waved her other hand through the air.

In a plume of violet smoke, The Evil Queen and The One-Handed Captain vanished from the mausoleum.

In the now empty chamber, Cora opened her eyes.

The not-so-deceased Queen of Hearts sat upright in her coffin.

Cora smirked, before a laugh bubbled its way through her lips.

"Oh Captain, you foolish man. Fancy taunting the Evil Queen on the day of her Dark Curse" Cora laughed to herself, "Still, at least that saved me the job of dealing with the pirate myself. A pity though. He still had some usefulness left in him".

Deciding to leave the Captain to whatever fate Regina had picked out for him, Cora climbed out of the coffin, before also vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

Now that she knew she still had a place in her daughter's heart, Cora had a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it in.

Not if she was going to protect herself from the Dark Curse.

* * *

Hook staggered and fell to the ground as he and Regina materialised in the middle of a dark and dense forest.

As far as the eye could see, the trees when on endlessly.

The forest seemed inescapable.

 _'Shit! What the hell are we doing here? None of this happened last time… because last time… Regina didn't catch you eavesdropping on her… and you didn't insult her and piss her off. Shit! Killian you fool, what the bloody hell have you got yourself into this time?'_ he mentally reprimanded himself.

And then suddenly he was flung painfully against a tree, and two thick vines slid around him, securing his body against it.

Hook struggled but he couldn't move an inch.

Even his hook was pinned down, the silver instrument useless by his side.

Hook had a horrible flashback of when Rumplestiltskin had done the same thing to him on his ship, right before he had ripped out Milah's heart.

For a split-second, Hook feared Regina was going to do the same to him.

Hook's heart clenched at the thought of never seeing Emma again.

Still, better this happen to him than her.

It did little to comfort the pirate, but at least it was something.

Instead of ripping out his heart like he was half-expecting however, the Evil Queen leaned in close and sneered in Hook's face.

 _'Urgh… this woman's a bloody menace and more hot-headed than a dragon'_ Hook silently glared at her.

"Right then, _Pirate_ , we've arrived at the last place you'll ever see in this land" Regina spat at him, gesturing around at the forest, "This lovely place is known as The Infinite Forest. Do you know _why_ it's known as that?"

"I'd hazard a guess that it goes on forever?" Hook asked bitterly.

"Not as stupid as you look in all that leather" Regina taunted.

 _'Bit rich coming from you love'_ Hook privately thought.

"Do you see the ingenuity of it though, Captain?" Regina laughed a sinister laugh, "Even if you escape your bindings, you'll never escape this forest in time. Only when my curse hits will you leave here… only to forget yourself. Goodbye Captain…".

"No! Wait!" Hook yelled desperately, struggling harder than ever.

He _couldn't_ allow time to change in such a way!

Hook had never been cursed to be trapped in Storybrook with everyone else.

He had never received a new identity and false memories.

And the reason for that was quite simple.

He was never _supposed_ too.

And if he did now - if time was changed in such a way - well Hook was no expert on time-travelling, but even he knew that the consequences could be disastrous.

"Don't do this!" he pleaded, but it was no use.

Regina just smiled at him.

That nasty, bitter smile.

"See you in hell" the Evil Queen laughed.

And with that, Regina vanished in a swirl of smoke.

"No..." Hook breathed, eyes wide with horror.

This couldn't be happening.

This _couldn't_ be happening!

The pirate strained against the vines, but quickly realised that they were too strong and there was little to no chance of breaking them.

Hook fell limp in his bindings, trying hard to suppress the sob that threatened to break free.

He couldn't manage it.

Tears pooled in his sapphire eyes and cascaded down his cheeks as he struggled to breathe.

 _'You fucking idiot Jones! You just couldn't keep your mouth shut! You never keep your mouth bloody shut and now you're paying for it. Cursed, for twenty-eight bloody years! All because you changed one fucking moment. The timeline will never be the same now. I've messed it all up… oh god, what's Emma going to say?'_ Hook thought desperately.

He was filled with dread and fear now.

 _She's even scarier than Regina when she's mad! Hold on a minute! Emma! She'll arrive in Storybrooke one day! She'll break the curse and then I can finally reunite with her! And whilst under the curse, we might finally be able to get that peaceful life she's always wanted! At least for a little while!_

And suddenly, just by thinking of his beloved Swan, being swept away by the Dark Curse didn't seem quite so dire anymore.

Yes, the timeline would be altered in ways Hook couldn't even imagine.

And yes, being stuck with no memory of his true identity for twenty-eight years wasn't exactly the ideal situation, but at least he'd find his Swan again one day.

And what was twenty-eight years when he would wait forever for Emma Swan?

She would break the curse.

He _knew_ she would.

Not only because she had technically already done it, but because Hook had absolute faith in her.

Emma wouldn't let him down.

She wouldn't let _any_ of them down.

So when night began to fall several hours later, and a cloud of green and purple smoke began tearing its way through the Enchanted Forest, Hook just watched as it approached, grim, but also determined.

Soon it would be upon him.

Soon time would be changed forever.

Hook swallowed anxiously at the thought.

Well, at that and what Emma was going to say when she found out.

Soon enough, the curse was upon the trapped pirate.

Within seconds, his fate was sealed.

Hook closed his eyes as the Dark Curse engulfed him and he was swept away to the new land.

 _'I'll find you Emma. I'll come back to you love'_ Hook imagined her in his mind's eye one last time before he forgot her, _'I just hope you can forgive me for causing this…'._

The Dark Curse invaded his mind.

His memories were sealed behind a haze.

And Captain Hook became nothing but a children's story.

* * *

 **And there's chapter four : )**

 **Yay! Hook is in Storybrooke much earlier than he was supposed to be : ) Only downside, he's completely forgotten that he's time-travelled and that he's really Captain Hook. Oops ; )**

 **So, Hook is going to stay cursed for a while, however I do have plans for him to wake up before the whole curse breaks. I'm not totally sure on all the details yet, but I don't want him out of action for that amount of time. Emma's gonna need help from someone who knows exactly what's going on after all : )**

 **Now, I'm a little stuck with the next chapter, so I'm going to call on you guys for a bit of help.**

 **What would people rather see? Do you guys want me to do a chapter on Hook's time under the curse with his fake memories, or do you want me to get straight back to Emma and Hook in the bar?**

 **Let me know which you'd prefer to see in a review, and I'll decide based on the majority : )**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading, and please leave a review on your way out.**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	5. Wade Rogers

**Hello everyone : ) I honestly have no idea where this chapter came from : ) I originally planned to just rewrite what I'd originally written, but as I started I suddenly thought - 'Screw this!' - and just wrote a whole new chapter in a couple of hours : ) It just seemed to come to me, so I hope you guys like it.**

 **Anyway, please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Wade Rogers**

* * *

Wade Rogers loved his job.

Perhaps it wasn't much to aspire too - being a barman - but for him, it was the best job in the world.

All day long, he got to be around alcohol, his second greatest love in the world, and drunken sexy women, his first greatest love in the world.

Add in the fact that a high number of people, both female and the occasional male, would love to get into his pants, and Wade felt like he was on top of the world whenever it was his shift.

He worked in a quaint little place called the Rabbit Hole.

It wasn't some high-class night club like those in Los Angeles or New York, but for a hidden little town like Storybrooke it wasn't too shabby.

At least it got him away from his car-crash of a home like.

 _That_ was where Wade felt like he had hit rock bottom.

He couldn't remember the last time he had felt _truly_ happy with his life. It was like something or someone had sucked all the joy out of it a long time ago and he'd never gotten it back.

Thankfully though, he wasn't there right now.

He was at his beloved bar in the Rabbit Hole, wholly enjoying being hit on by the local talent and the occasional drunk guy.

Wade was just in the middle of a particularly sexy conversation with a pretty little thing, when he heard a new customer calling to get his attention.

"Excuse me?" an unfamiliar female voice called, "Can I get some service here?"

Wade blinked to himself in confusion.

Whilst obviously not everyone in the whole town had ever been inside the Rabbit Hole, Wade liked to think he knew most people in Storybrooke, at least enough to be able to recognise a voice when he heard it.

But this one was totally unfamiliar to him.

Something about that was odd.

In all the time he'd lived in Storybrooke and worked at the Rabbit Hole, Wade could never remember anyone _new_ arriving.

Shaking himself out of those thoughts, Wade turned to face his mystery customer.

He jolted to a stop and his eyes widened.

Wade sucked in a sharp breath.

 _Holy fuck_.

It was her eyes that had Wade so mesmerized at first.

They were the greenest green he had ever seen, like a legendary green flash just before sunset. But more than that, Wade saw something of himself reflected in their depths.

He saw pain and loneliness.

Inwardly shaking himself, Wade forced his gaze away from her eyes so he could take in the rest of her face. Even an outrageous flirt like him knew that there was something different about _this_ one.

The woman was stunningly beautiful.

Well-defined cheekbones, pale pink lips he'd bet many a man would love to devour, and locks of golden hair that burned like the sun itself. His eyes towards downwards on their own accord. Even sitting, Wade could tell that the woman was incredibly fit.

He swallowed hard.

Even with just one glance, Wade could feel all his blood rushing straight down to his cock, leaving him breathless and slightly dazed.

Okay, so _that_ reaction in itself wasn't so usual.

He was only human after all, and a lot of pretty girls chose the Rabbit Hole as their watering hole, but somehow Wade just knew, without knowing how he knew, that there was just something different about her.

She was like an angel.

Wade knew straight away that she wasn't from Storybrooke. If a woman that attractive had been wandering around the same town as him, she'd have come up on his radar by now. Wade had lived in Storybrooke for... well, for as long as he could remember, and never once had he seen beauty such as her.

And being a man that never could resist a pretty girl, Wade eagerly bounded over to her.

"I'll be there in a second, love" he practically purred.

As if sensing just how intensely he was watching her - or perhaps just how many pick-up lines were currently chasing each other through his flirtatious head - the woman's eyes focused in on him so quickly Wade was surprised she wasn't seeing double.

Her jaw dropped as she took him in.

Wade did his best not to preen as he stood up straighter and grinned so widely his face just might crack. He would bet his right arm and leg that she was undressing him in her mind right about now. He knew when a woman was impressed by a man's looks and body. He had seen that expression on enough pleased girls' faces after all.

Hold on.

No.

Wade tried not to scowl in disappointment.

The woman _wasn't_ checking him out.

Actually, the more he observed her reaction, the more it seemed like the woman was staring at him in... well, sheer disbelief.

Wade grinned again.

Maybe she just never believed a guy could be quite so dashingly handsome as he was.

He was just thinking about which of his best chat-up lines might work on her and get him lucky tonight, when the woman spoke up before he could try any of them out.

" _Hook?!_ " she blurted out.

Wade quirked an eyebrow in bewilderment.

Judging by the way she was looking at him as if his entire existence surprised her, Wade knew she had to be talking about him.

Well, Wade had no idea who this 'Hook' person was, but whoever he was, he was one lucky bastard.

But perhaps if 'Hook' wasn't there, then this woman would be in need of someone else to keep her warm tonight.

Grinning like a cat with the cream, Wade all but pounced into action.

* * *

Emma simply couldn't believe her eyes.

This wasn't just unlikely.

This was _completely_ impossible.

The barman _was_ Hook, there was no doubt about it.

But how could he possibly be standing in front of her right now?

Her first thought was that this was some kind of cruel trick.

After all, Emma knew for a fact that Hook had never been cursed into Storybrooke like her parents and so many other people had been.

He had been protected by Cora, and stayed in the Enchanted Forest, frozen in suspended animation for twenty eight years.

So how could he here now, almost a year before the curse even broke?

Emma's eyes raked him over for any sign that something was amiss here. She simply couldn't believe the evidence standing in front of her.

Her eyes landed on his left hand.

Not a stump like she would have expected, but an actual, honest-to-God flesh-and-bone hand.

Okay, _that_ wasn't right.

As the barman that looked so much like Hook swaggered towards her, Emma took care to scan his face was any sign of recognition in his eyes.

He licked his lips and gave her the once over.

Emma swallowed hard.

Judging by the lack of warmth in his eyes she'd grown accustomed to seeing when he looked at her, Emma knew there and then that the man before her had no idea who she was.

Her heart clenched in pain.

She was a stranger to him now.

Just like everyone else she had grown to love so dearly.

This was just wrong.

So incredibly _wrong_.

But how could this have happened?

Emma had long since learned to trust her instincts, and right now they were telling her that despite the abnormalities, the man standing behind the bar _was_ in fact Hook.

Not some imposter like one might have thought.

But how could he have his hand back?

How the hell was he even here in the first place?

And what the hell had happened to him to make him forget all about her just like everyone else?

"Well _hello_ there" the man that looked like Hook greeted her with a sexy wink, "What can a guy like me do for a woman as beautiful as you?"

Oh god.

That was so cheesy Emma was seriously having to work hard not to puke.

But at least that reinforced the fact that he had no idea who she was.

Not like _that_ wasn't painful, nope, not at all.

Emma's mind was quickly going into overdrive as she tried to work out some form of explanation for what she was seeing.

Obviously the Time Portal had to be involved somehow.

Hook must have fallen into it after she had.

But why did he get sent somewhere else to her if they went through the same portal?

Was it like other portals, directed by thought?

Maybe that was it.

If Hook had been thinking about something else than what she'd been thinking, maybe that was why he'd been sent somewhere else in time to where she'd been sent.

It seemed logical to Emma at any rate.

And if Hook was here, than that meant that something had changed at least twenty-eight years ago, because the only way he could have got into Storybrooke whilst it was still trapped under the curse was if he was brought along _with_ the curse.

Realisation flooded Emma and she felt the blood drain from her face.

It wasn't just something that had changed.

 _No_.

 _He_ had changed something.

 _Oh Killian, what the hell did you get yourself into?_

But Emma already knew the answer to that.

He was cursed.

Emma just knew it.

Killian Jones had been a victim of the Dark Curse and his identity had been erased because of that.

She'd bet her little yellow bug on it.

Perhaps that also explained why the man before her also had his left hand back. It would have been slightly odd for him after all if he just woke in Storybrooke on the day it was created without it. Perhaps it had been stuck back on with magic so that he wouldn't remember anything about being Captain Hook.

That made just about as much sense as everything else that had been going on after all.

Knowing she couldn't avoid talking to him, Emma did her best to keep her voice steady as she replied to him.

It was so hard though.

Just hours ago she had been opening up - for the first time in years no less - to this man, and now he had completely forgotten her.

Emma wasn't an idiot after all.

She couldn't deny that despite how hard she had resisted it, Hook had managed to slip past her so carefully crafted walls, and she had began falling for him.

She wouldn't quite call it love yet.

But she had been getting there.

And now once again, just like it always did, it had all been yanked out from under.

And it hurt.

It hurt like _hell_.

Part of her just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Cry for her family and friends who no longer knew her. Cry for her son who had to put up with so much crap for one so young. Cry for Hook or whoever this man was that had taken his place.

And cry for herself.

She had never asked for a life like this, and yet she constantly seemed to be getting punished for it.

But Emma knew she couldn't afford to let herself fall apart right now.

So she did what Emma Swan did best.

She forced her emotions back and placed her walls around her heart.

Plastering a fake smile onto her face, Emma grinned at the man that had once been Captain Hook.

"Well, that depends" Emma smirked flirtatiously.

"On what?" the man that wasn't Hook practically purred at her.

"On what a guy like you is offering" Emma winked.

'Not-Hook's' face lit up in excitement.

"Oh love, I think you'll find there isn't much that _this_ man isn't willing to do" he grinned that oh-so-charming grin at her.

Emma felt genuine butterflies dancing around her stomach.

Okay, so this flirting was rather cheesy and she knew it, but hell, Emma _had_ always liked Hook's smile.

Even if right now it _was_ on another man's face.

But at this moment Emma wanted some more information, and since she currently had his undivided attention, she decided to put her advantage to good use.

"Maybe you'd be willing to give me your name then?" Emma asked innocently.

"I thought you'd never ask love" he beamed at her, "Wade Rogers. And what might a beautiful lass like you be called?"

"Emma Swan" she greeted him.

"Swan" he breathed her name like it was a prayer.

Emma swallowed hard.

Her façade almost broke upon hearing her name, _his_ name for her. When she had fallen into the Time Portal, a small part of her had feared that she'd never hear him say it again.

"Well" the man - _Wade_ \- looked her up and down again, "It's very fitting. A royal name for a royal lady".

Emma smirked.

In his cursed stated, Hook had no idea just how appropriate those words were.

"Thank you" she smiled warmly at him.

"So, what will it be tonight Miss Swan?" Wade grinned wickedly at her, causing her heart to skip a beat, "Or do I get the pleasure of calling you Emma?"

Emma knew that flirting with Hook when he wasn't Hook wasn't a good idea.

Hell, this Wade persona he'd received from the curse was just as annoyingly charming as the pirate captain was, and already Emma found herself drawn to him.

But right now, she honestly had no idea how to approach this situation, so she decided to continue with what she was currently doing.

"I'll make you a deal Mr Rogers" Emma enticed him, and Wade grinned at her eagerly, "If you let me call you Wade, I'll let you call me Emma. So what do you say big boy? We have a deal?"

"Sound fair to me, _Emma_ " Wade purred her name.

Emma felt her cheeks heat up as the man reduced her to blushing, _blushing_!

"So, what's your drink?" Wade asked her curiously, "I've never seen you in here before so how's a guy to know?"

Emma let out a genuine laugh at that.

"I'd have thought someone as witty as you would be able to guess" she playfully teased.

"Oh, I'm witty am I?" Wade chortled, "Okay Emma, how about we make another deal then? If I can guess in three tries what your drink is, you give me your phone number?"

Emma bit her lip thoughtfully.

Whilst she normally made a point of not handing her phone number out to guys, in Wade's case it might be useful to make an exception.

Wade Rogers was a completely unknown quantity in Storybrooke, and if Emma ended up staying in this time - which was getting more and more likely - then it would be helpful if she established a friendship with him.

At least she could keep an eye on him at any rate.

Inwardly nodding with her thoughts, Emma decided to run with it.

"Alright, but if you don't get it in three tries, you'll never get it" she winked.

She didn't mean that of course. She just didn't want him to think she was easy or something.

Either way, he'd end up with her phone number tonight.

Wade's grin got even wider.

"Oho! Raising the stakes, eh?" he chuckled, "Well now I'll have to try my best. Can't let a lady like you slip through the net after all, can I?"

"No you most certainly can't" Emma smirked.

"Okay - guess number one" Wade braced himself, "White wine?"

"No _p_ e" Emma said, popping the 'p'.

"Damn. Alright, guess number two" Wade bit his lip thoughtfully, "Rum?"

"Ha! I bet that's your drink, not mine" Emma laughed.

"Well, I'm partial to it now and then" Wade shrugged playfully.

"One more try" Emma reminded him.

"Bloody hell" Wade grunted. He was determined to get her phone number after all, "Okay, okay... err... Vodka Shots?" he said slowly.

Emma threw back her head and laughed.

When she didn't reply straight away, Wade grew somewhat fidgety.

"Well?" he asked hopefully.

"Well... I'd say you earned yourself a phone number" Emma winked at him.

"Yes!" Wade whooped and punched the air.

"Easy there big boy" Emma raised an amused eyebrow at him, "It's just a phone number. It isn't a promise. It isn't an I-owe-U. It's just a phone number".

"Gotcha" Wade nodded his understanding.

Smiling, Emma picked up one of the small business cards that littered the bar, took out a pen from her pocket, and jotted down her phone number. She then held it out to him.

Wade took the piece of paper like it was a priceless treasure.

"So, seeing as that number isn't a promise and I might not get another chance to ask" Wade said, pocketing the card with her number on it, "What brings you to our little town of Storybrooke? It's not exactly a tourist spot after all".

Emma let out an exhausted sigh.

Wade looked at her, worried that he had somehow put her off by asking that.

"Sorry" he apologised, "None of my business. I was just making conversation".

"No, it's not that, it's fine" Emma shook her head, "It's just sort of complicated, and not the kind of thing you tell a guy when you've just met him and he's coming on to you".

Wade couldn't help but laugh at that.

Oh this was one hell of a woman, he thought to himself.

Beautiful, clever, not afraid to speak her mind, could match him at each step of the way, and most importantly, no ring on her finger.

If Wade was a betting man, which coincidentally he was, he's say he'd just struck gold.

"So I've been coming on to you now?" he chuckled.

Emma couldn't help but scoff.

"Sorry buddy. You might be dashing and charming but you're not subtle" Emma informed him.

"But I'm still dashing and charming and that's good enough for me" he told her.

Emma laughed and fondly shook her head.

As loathed as she was to admit it, she really liked this Wade part of Hook. He was sweet and funny and a little bit dorky, but in a cute way.

He had an attractive personality, even if in a way Emma knew it wasn't exactly, well... real.

Still, he wasn't too far off of Hook.

And even though Emma knew it might sound a little strange, she was actually glad that Hook had somehow ended up changing the past and getting sent to Storybrooke with everybody else.

In a way, it made her feel less alone.

What with her family, her friends, and her son having never developed those so cherished true relationships with her right now, at least having a version of Hook with her right now made her feel a hundred times better about this whole situation.

She felt like she finally had someone in her corner again.

Not that she'd ever tell him that of course.

The smug prat would never let her hear the end of it.

Still, he was _her_ smug prat at any rate.

And that was more than enough to bring a bright smile to her face.

"So is a girl _ever_ going to get a drink in this place?" Emma asked, pulling herself out of her musings and back to the present.

"I know, the service here is terrible" Wade smirked, making her laugh again, "Vodka Shot?"

"Hit me" Emma nodded.

Within seconds, a shots-glass full of Vodka appeared in front of her.

"Whoa, pretty quick off the mark there buddy" Emma commented.

"What can I say, I serve the fastest drink across the entire eastern sea-board" Wade grinned.

Emma went to remove her wallet from her jeans to pay, but Wade quickly shook his head.

"Don't worry about that love" he told her, "This round's on me. I couldn't live with myself if a pretty lass gave me her phone number and I didn't even buy her a drink".

"Oh, well we can't have that" Emma graced him with one of her best smiles, "Thank you very much Wade".

As demented as it might sound, she was actually beginning to enjoy herself.

At least flirting with the cute bartender was taking her mind off the mountain of troubles she knew she'd have to face at some point or another.

"You are _more_ than welcome Emma" he winked slyly at her, "So tell me, if whatever brought you here isn't so pleasant, are you planning on sticking around town for long?"

Emma downed her shot before she answered him.

"Why?" she asked as she smacked her lips together, "Worried you won't get a chance to call that phone number you just bought a drink for?"

Wade scoffed in amusement.

"Well that wasn't quite what I was thinking about, but aye love, that too" he replied.

"What were you thinking about then?" Emma asked coyly.

"Just that if you _were_ planning on sticking around, perhaps you'd allow me the honour of showing you around town" he suggested hopefully, "There's more to see here than meets the eye".

As he said this, he licked his lips, pressed his hands against his body, and ran them down to his thighs.

The implication wasn't lost on Emma.

"Oho! In your dreams buddy" she scoffed.

She only ever allowed things like that on the first meeting when it was a one-night-stand.

And with Hook, she knew she'd never have just a one-night-stand.

"Most certainly love" he winked, "All night in fact".

"You seriously don't have an off button, do you?" Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"No love, sorry. Just one that turns me on" he retorted playfully.

Emma burst out laughing at that one.

God, she knew she was up to her eyeballs in shit, but sitting here and flirting constantly with Wade was really helping her deal with the nightmare her life had become over the past twenty-four hours. It might not be the healthiest way of dealing with it, but hell, whatever worked she'd take.

But alas, it was getting late, and she didn't exactly fancy spending the night in her car right now.

After the day she'd just endured, she wanted a _bed_.

Somewhere to basically collapse and just pray that when she woke up in the morning, all of this was just a bad dream, and they could laugh about it later when she told Hook how cute and funny his dream counterpart was.

All of which meant, it was time to say good night.

"Well Mr Rogers, on that note, I think it's high time I went and found myself a bed for the night" Emma regretfully informed him.

For a moment, Wade looked extremely disappointed, however almost immediately he perked right up again.

Emma braced herself.

She knew exactly what he was going to say after all.

"Oh, I have one at my place if you're interested" he grinned wickedly at her, "I mean, it sort of comes with me in it too, and I do have a 'no clothes' rule, but the offer's there if you want it".

Yeah.

She had been spot on the mark.

Emma chuckled fondly.

"Another time maybe" she smirked.

She turned and walked towards the exit.

"Is that one a promise?" he called from behind her.

A wide smile crept its way over Emma's face, but she didn't turn back to face him as she replied.

"You'll just have to wait and see" she laughed.

Behind her, Wade beamed and punched the air again.

He might not be her companion for the night, but at least he was in with a chance.

That was enough for him for now.

Plus the thrill was in the chase.

Never in the capture.

Grinning to himself happily, Wade turned away from the door as another customer approached the bar.

He had no idea why, but Wade had the strangest feeling that his life was about to take a turn for the better.

And all because of a swan in the night.

Oh yes.

Wade Rogers _loved_ his job alright.

* * *

Emma exited the Rabbit Hole in much higher spirits than when she'd entered.

Although seeing a cursed version of Hook in Storybrooke was something she'd never imagined she would see, Emma couldn't deny that she'd felt an attraction to his cursed persona.

Emma knew that Hook had his reasons, _good reasons_ , for all the anger and the hatred and the desire for revenge that had burned away in the man she'd first met. And she liked to think that she had played a part in getting him past those feelings, and had helped him become a man she'd started being drawn too.

But to suddenly see all those negative traits gone, leaving just a gigantic happy flirt in his place, well it just wasn't something Emma had been expecting to see.

She wasn't regretful over it though.

He had really given her a pick up there, and he didn't even know it.

Although this little surprise _had_ stirred up some rather troubling thoughts however.

Namely - Emma knew now that the chances of her going back to her own time were slim-to-none by this point.

It wasn't as if she could just leave Wade - no, _Hook -_ she couldn't leave _Hook_ behind after all. And in this state, he was unlikely to believe her if she told him about magic, let alone follow her into a Time Portal even if she could find a way of reopening it.

No.

Until she figured out a way of bringing Hook's memories back, Emma knew that there would be no leaving this time.

Yet as she walked towards her yellow bug, Emma came to an important realisation.

She didn't even want to.

* * *

 **And there's another one : )**

 **Like I said, I have no idea where this came from, and I was hoping to move the pilot episode along a bit with this chapter, but sometimes these things just write themselves and don't work out how you originally planned : ) Most of this was inspired whilst I was watching Emma flirting with Past-Hook in the season 3 finale : )**

 **Anyway, please leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter, Wade's character, and how his meeting with Emma went : )**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	6. Reawakened

**Hi everyone : )** **I'm very excited for this chapter since it's the first major example of Emma changing some events to the timeline. Plus it introduces a couple of important characters into the story, which is great because it means that as we progress further and further I can explore the butterfly effect more and more** **: )**

 **I'd like to say thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, and has supported this story in general : ) Your support really does mean a lot so please keep it up : )**

 **Anyway, please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, and** **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Reawakened**

* * *

Emma was crossing the Rabbit Hole's car park when she first noticed the figure of a man leaning against her yellow bug.

She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. She tried to get a look at the person's face, but she was too far away and it was too dark.

Was somebody trying to steal her car?

Like hell was she going to let that happen!

"Hey!" she yelled, making the figure jump, "What are you doing to my car?!"

She sped across the car park, only to falter as the guy's face came into view.

Emma's heart clenched in pain.

Her stomach dropped out from under her.

A chill ran down her spine.

 _Of course_ , it just had to be _him_.

Graham.

She couldn't help but groan.

Emma knew she couldn't avoid running into him forever, especially since it seemed very likely now that she'd be staying in this time. But she _had_ hoped to have had some time to prepare herself for it, both mentally and emotionally.

Seeing somebody that you cared for die was painful enough, but to suddenly have them alive in front of you again...

Well, it was nerve-racking if nothing else.

"You can relax" Graham chuckled in that warm voice of his, "I'm not here to give you a ticket".

Emma tried her best not to close her eyes in despair.

God she had missed that voice _so much_.

But what the hell was she going to do?!

How was she supposed to approach this?

It wasn't like she'd ever had to deal with something like this before, but Emma knew she couldn't avoid having this conversation.

If she was going to blend in during this time and not raise any suspicions, she was just going to have to get past her heartache over Graham, and figure out a way of being around him again without constantly feeling the urge to freak out.

So steeling her nerves and closing off her emotions, Emma slowly approached him.

Graham smiled down at her kindly.

Emma's new-found resolve threatened to shatter.

It was just so _good_ to see him alive again when it should have been impossible.

"S-so what are you doing?" she found herself asking.

She was impressed by how level she managed to keep her voice.

"Well, I was on my nightly patrol, and I happened to see your car parked here" Graham explained, "I figured since we didn't have the chance to introduce ourselves back at Regina's place that I'd wait and say hi. I like to know the people staying in town after all. I'm Graham, by the way, Sheriff Graham Humbert".

"Emma" Emma forced a smile for him, "Emma Swan".

"A pleasure to meet you" Graham returned her smile, "So how'd it go with Regina? She didn't seem all too pleased to see you".

Emma swallowed back the lump forming in her throat.

This was just so _hard_.

Trying to have a conversation with him when all she really wanted to do was hug him tightly and cry over a loss that hadn't even happened yet.

But she knew that doing so would be utterly ridiculous.

And quite possibly get her arrested.

So pulling herself together, Emma tried to keep her voice as composed as possible.

"Well, you can kind of see why" Emma shrugged for appearance's sake, "She's been Henry's mother for ten years. She's bound to feel threatened by being confronted with his birth mother".

"Fair enough" Graham agreed she had a point, "Is that why you needed to stiff drink?"

He nodded towards the Rabbit Hole.

"Something like that" she lied.

It wasn't like she could tell him the _real_ reason she'd needed a drink after all.

"Maybe you should think about spending the night then" Graham suggested.

Emma's eyebrows flew up her forehead.

After a beat, Graham's eyes widened and he blushed.

"I-I meant here in Storybrooke!" he gasped out, embarrassed, "Not with me! I didn't mean it like that!"

Emma knew that she probably shouldn't, but she couldn't help it.

She let out a long hard laugh.

God, she'd forgotten just how useless Graham was when it came to women.

He was just so damn funny, cute, and sweet though.

"Don't worry about it" she shook her head fondly, "I know what you meant".

"Good" Graham sighed in relief, although he was still blushing "I only said that because I know how strong the Rabbit Hole makes its drinks. I'd hate to get out the breathalyser".

"Even if I was planning on going back to Boston, I only had one drink" Emma smirked up at him, "And I weigh... well, I'm not gonna tell you that. But the point is right now I'd blow a 0.6 - well below the limit".

The more they talked, the more the knot in Emma's stomach eased up.

Maybe this would be easier than she'd originally thought, being around Graham again.

A girl could hope if nothing else.

Graham chuckled, before looking at her thoughtfully.

"You said ' _if_ you were planning on going back to Boston'" he observed, "Does that mean you're sticking around?"

"For the time being, yeah" Emma nodded, "It just doesn't feel right, leaving Henry all over again".

"He is a sweet boy" Graham smiled, "Well if you're planning on staying, you should go to Granny's. It's a lovely place for a small town like Storybrooke".

"I will, thank you" Emma smiled up at him.

Graham stepped away from Emma's bug, and like a true gentleman, opened the car door for her.

Smirking, Emma got in and closed the door, before winding down the window.

"Drive safe, and maybe I'll see you around some time" Graham said kindly.

"Yeah, maybe" Emma smiled softly.

Starting the car, Emma drove away, watching Graham intently in her rear-view mirror.

God, she had missed him.

Even though so much had happened, Emma had _never_ forgotten about Graham and what had happened to him. Nor the pain his passing had left her with.

Emma didn't count the year she'd spent in New York since forgetting him then hadn't been of her own accord.

But she still loved him to this very day.

The only problem was, now she found herself falling for Hook as well.

Emma's heart clenched in pain again.

Would she one day be forced to choose between the two of them?

She certainly hoped not.

God, this was all such a mess.

All she wanted to do was get to Granny's and go to sleep.

But as that thought entered her head, another problem presented itself to her.

In the original timeline, when Emma had first gone to Granny's - which should have been tomorrow night - Emma had ran into Gold, and his memories had been restore upon hearing her name.

Not that Emma had known that at the time.

But if Emma went there tonight instead though, then that encounter would never happen, meaning Gold's memories of being Rumplestiltskin would not be restored to him.

Emma bit her lip thoughtfully.

Although it was tempting to keep Rumplestiltskin trapped under the curse of being Mr Gold, to keep him from causing her any trouble, Emma wasn't sure that was good idea.

Sure, he was always scheming and interfering with the people around him, but he _had_ actually been quite a useful asset to Emma during the first curse.

He'd helped her gain the position of Sheriff, and Emma hadn't forgotten that.

An exhausted sigh slipped her lips.

No.

As much as Emma was loathed to admit it, she knew that Rumple need to be reawakened.

He'd played too big of a hand in the original timeline to remain being Mr Gold.

But how was she supposed to do it?

She supposed she could just spend the night in her car and allow the original events to play out naturally. It wasn't a tempting prospect though.

After everything she'd suffered through today, she _really_ just wanted a bed.

Plus there was also the fact that she'd just told Graham she'd be spending the night at Granny's, meaning that if he found out she hadn't, it would raise questions and quite possibly suspicion, which would draw a lot of unwanted attention onto Emma.

Attention was the _last_ thing she wanted right now.

She had to remain under everybody's radar if she didn't want to mess up time itself.

Maybe she could orchestrate events so that she'd run into him whilst he was collecting the rent tomorrow.

But Emma didn't like the idea of waking Rumplestiltskin up in the presence of other people. Events were changing all the time around her, so it was entirely possible that those events would change too.

Emma wasn't willing to risk others being caught up in something like that.

This was her mess, so it was her responsibility to clean it up.

No.

She needed a way of getting Gold on his own so she could wake him up from his cursed persona without anyone else getting in the way.

Obviously his shop would be the best place to do it privately, but what would her reason for going there be?

Emma smirked as an answer came to her.

She was 'new' in town, meaning that although she knew the place inside out, she couldn't allow anyone to catch on to that little fact about her.

Which meant that she had a legitimate reason for going to Gold's shop.

She could go there, and pretend to ask for directions to Granny's inn. It would look real enough to anyone with a suspicious mind, but it would also allow her to wake Rumple up in private.

Emma nodded to herself.

It seemed to be a solid enough plan, and definitely the best option available to her at the moment.

But it did mean she'd have to put it into action immediately.

Emma groaned but forced herself to change the car's direction so that she was heading towards the pawn shop instead of the inn.

Maybe at some point tonight she'd finally get the sweet release of sleep.

She had a feeling it was still a while off yet though.

* * *

Emma paused outside of the pawn shop.

A unsettling feeling was bubbling in her stomach, and once again she found herself questioning whether or not her plan was a good one.

Waking up Rumplestiltskin from his cursed persona wasn't something she could afford to take lightly after all.

But Emma could see no other choice.

Regardless of the fact that Emma didn't always approve of Rumple's methods, she couldn't deny that he had been useful in the original timeline when the curse was in place.

Of course, he'd only been so useful so that he could get what _he_ wanted, but still, he was a useful asset, one Emma doubted she could afford to do without, despite how much she wished she could.

Plus it wasn't like she could avoid running into the man forever.

Storybrooke was a small town, meaning it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed.

It was better for Emma to do this here and now, on her own terms.

Nodding to herself as she became more confident in her assessment of the situation, Emma squared her shoulders, mentally braced herself, before she entered the pawn shop.

Emma found it to be empty.

She arched an eyebrow, realising that Gold must be in the back room.

Deciding to use this time wisely to have a subtle look around, Emma allowed her eyes to wander across some of the many objects and knick-knacks that were on display.

There were all sorts of things, some of which Emma recognised.

A collection of eight beer steins that Emma was certain belonged to the seven dwarves and their deceased brother Stealthy.

A magnifying glass she'd seen in Henry's book as a means for Jiminy Cricket to be seen during council meetings.

A wicker basket that Emma knew for a fact that Red Riding Hood had used to carry food in.

All sorts of things that didn't belong to Gold, and weren't his to sell.

Emma frowned at that thought.

It had never really occurred to her before that the curse had stolen so many personal belongings from the townspeople and dumped them all in Gold's shop.

Belongings he'd probably force the people to buy back.

Emma shook the thought away.

Now wasn't the time for such things. She had much bigger problems to worry about.

Looking around once more, a soft gasp escaped her lips.

Hanging from the ceiling was a mobile.

 _Her_ mobile.

Emma walked over to it, gently touching one of the small glass unicorns.

She could still remember her mother looking at that mobile when they'd been trying to stop Peter Pan.

Snow's eyes had been haunted with pain and longing.

Emma's heart clenched in pain when she remembered that her mother didn't even know she had a daughter right now, or that Emma even existed at all.

She suddenly found the hatred she'd been harbouring for Zelena boiling to new levels.

This was all that bitch's fault after all.

If she hadn't been so desperate to change the past, Emma wouldn't be going through any of this crap right now. But still, Emma knew that if that hadn't happened, she wouldn't be getting this second chance.

And in her eyes, this second chance was worth the pain.

Zelena was still going to get a good punch in the face for this though.

"Charming" a soft voice said.

Emma gasped and whirled around in surprise.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

There he was, the man himself.

Rumplestiltskin - or in this cursed state - Mr Gold.

Emma quickly ran through her plan in her head again, needing this to run as smoothly as possible.

Despite how much she hated it, Rumplestiltskin needed to be reawakened.

So steeling her nerves, Emma proceeded to put her plan into action.

"Excuse me?" she pretended to play dumb.

"The mobile" Gold clarified, "Isn't it charming?"

"I like it" Emma nodded politely.

"Exquisitely designed and masterfully crafted" Gold continued, eyes on the glistening unicorns, "I could get it down if you like".

Emma wasn't sure she was ready for that.

Whilst she'd love to reclaim the mobile that should have been her's since birth, it would look far too suspicious in the future if her parents caught her with it when she shouldn't even know about it yet.

No.

As painful as it was, for now, the mobile had to stay where it was.

Maybe one day she'd get it back though.

"No, that's okay" Emma declined, not wanting to deviate from her plan, "I'm sorry but I didn't actually come in here to buy anything".

"Oh" Gold looked surprised and a little disappointed.

"Yeah" Emma pressed on before he could throw her out for wasting his time, "I'm sorry, I know this isn't a tourist office, but I was hoping you could give me directions. You see, I'm new in town..."

"Yes, I know" Gold nodded in agreement, "Since I own this town, I know all the residents in it".

"You own the town?" Emma pretended to act shocked.

"I most certainly do" Gold said, a hint of smugness in his tone, "Now, where are you trying to get to?"

"Well you see, the Sheriff mentioned that I could get a room at a place called Granny's" Emma explained, "Unfortunately though, he didn't tell me where I could find the place".

Gold scrutinised her carefully, and Emma resisted the urge to gulp.

Had he caught onto her lie?

"How terribly forgetful of him" Gold eventually shook his head.

Emma had to work hard not to sigh in relief.

"Yeah, seems to be something of a problem in this place" Emma couldn't resist commenting.

"Excuse me?" Gold blinked in confusion.

"People forgetting things" Emma smiled at him, "Anyway, do you know how I can get there?"

"I do" Gold confirmed, picking up one of his business cards and a pen, "The rent on that place is due tomorrow, so maybe I'll see you there".

"Probably" Emma nodded.

Gold jotted down the directions to the place Emma already knew how to get to on the back of the card, which he handed to her when he was finished.

"Thank you so much... Mr Gold, the sign said, didn't it?" Emma 'asked' for appearance's sake.

"Robert Gold, yes" Gold confirmed.

Emma was actually quite surprised when he said that.

She'd never paid any attention to it before, but she'd never known Gold's curse persona's first name in the original timeline.

"I didn't catch your name, Miss...?" Gold continued.

Emma quickly hid her surprise over his name as she mentally prepared herself.

This was it.

The moment her plan would all come together.

And Rumplestiltskin was about to get one hell of a wake up call.

"Swan" Emma replied, trying to keep her voice natural as to not give anything away, "Emma Swan".

The effect was immediate.

The hazy quality in Gold's eyes - the same clouded over look in every cursed person's eyes - immediate faded and they sharpened into clarify.

He swayed ever so slightly on the spot as a wave of memories from a forgotten life came back to him all at once.

It only lasted a second, but it was long enough.

Rumplestiltskin was back.

Emma suppressed a shiver, and instead kept her hawk-like gaze focused on the man before her.

"Emma..." he said slowly, his tone a little colder and more sinister now that Rumple was back to his old self again, "What a lovely name".

Credit given where it was due, Gold certainly hid it well; regaining his true identity. If Emma hadn't known to expect it, she wouldn't have thought anything was amiss.

But that was exactly how he'd gotten away with it in the original timeline, wasn't it?

"Thank you" Emma forced her voice to be level.

She couldn't afford to have Rumple suspecting anything off about her after all. If he did, he might start working against her as she tried to better their future.

And Emma wouldn't let that happen.

She couldn't _afford_ to let that happen.

No, for once _she_ was going to be the one ahead of the game, and this time around, _she_ was going to be the winner instead of the one that lost everything all the time.

"Anyway, I should probably go to Granny's" Emma forced a polite smile, "It's getting late after all".

"Indeed it is" Gold smirked, and Emma shivered again, "Do enjoy your stay".

Nodding, Emma turned and was about to exit the shop, when a particular object in one of the glass display cabinets caught her eye.

Emma froze in her tracks, and was forced to swallow hard to avoid gasping out loud.

She knew she couldn't allow her surprise to show on her face in Gold's presence, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away.

The object was a hook.

A silver hook that would've been used in the riggings of a ship's sails.

But it wasn't just any old hook.

Oh no.

It was the hook that formed Killian's moniker.

 _His_ hook.

Emma bit her lip anxiously.

When Killian woke up from being Wade and found out that his hook was now in his arch-enemy's pawn shop, he was going to be _pissed_.

"See something you like?" Rumple asked from behind her.

Emma turned to him, wondering if he'd already realised exactly what it was that had drawn her attention.

She wondered what to do.

Emma knew that if she called him out on having Killian's hook, then he'd know that she knew all about the Enchanted Forest and magic. And that would lead to all kinds of complicated and difficult questions.

Questions she wouldn't be able to answer without raising even more awkward questions.

And now certainly wasn't the right time to put Rumple in the picture.

So forcing herself to act normal, Emma plastered on what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"No" she shook her head, "I thought I recognised one of the items in your display, but it isn't what I thought it was. It was just my imagination".

Gold didn't appear to believe her lie.

"I see..." he said slowly, obviously not sure how to react, "Well, goodnight Miss Swan".

"Goodnight, Mr Gold" Emma returned.

She then turned and hurried out of the pawn shop, allowing a small sigh of relief to escape her once she was back on the street and had closed the door.

That had been a little too close for comfort.

Still, it had gone smoother than she'd expected, and despite the fact that the timeline had ever so slightly been altered yet again, at least it was still intact for the meantime.

And hell, she should be happy.

Her plan had been a complete success.

The only problem now though, was what the hell was she going to do about Hook's hook?

Emma couldn't just let Rumple keep it after all.

It was a part of her pirate.

A part of who he was.

Rumple had already taken enough from him.

She supposed she could just buy the Hook off of Gold at some point, but she'd have to plan it carefully.

Emma shook the thought away.

Whilst Hook was still trapped under his cursed persona of Wade Rogers, the hook really wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Plus Emma had just about had enough for one day.

She was just about ready to collapse where she stood.

With that thought in mind, she decided it was high-time for her to get some well-earned rest, and figure out the rest of this shit-storm in the morning when she'd had some sleep.

A small part of her was still hoping that this was just a bizarre dream after all.

Forcing her legs to move against their will, Emma headed towards the spot where her yellow bug was parked.

Exhaustion was creeping up on her.

* * *

Not needing Gold's directions to get to Granny's, Emma drove across the town, parked her car, and walked up the pathway to the quaint little inn.

As she approached the door, she heard muffled voices yelling from inside.

Emma raised an eyebrow, wondering what was happening.

Not wasting a second with hestitation, Emma pushed open the door and entered the inn.

The source of the yelling quickly became apparent.

"I won't have you disgracing the business I bent over backwards to build-up by dressing like some harlot!" Granny's voice stormed from upstairs.

Her voice was loud enough to cause some dust to fall from the ceiling.

Ruby, who was sitting behind the welcome counter, rolled her eyes in annoyance. She hadn't even noticed Emma enter, so wrapped up in the argument she was having.

"I won't put that uniform on Granny" Ruby yelled back, "No way in hell!"

Emma smirked in amusement.

She'd forgotten just how much Ruby and Granny had loved to bicker whilst the curse was in place.

"You will if you want to keep your job girl!" Granny's voice replied as she moved about upstairs, "You work for me, and that means I make the rules. Now go and change".

"Whatever" Ruby scoffed, before adding under her breath, " _Miserable old bitch_ ".

Simply out of mild curiosity, Emma allowed her eyes to wander over Ruby's outfit.

The blonde almost did a double-take.

Ruby was dressed in an almost indecently-tight red outfit that clung to her curves in all the right places. Her leather boots had dozens of buckles on them, and extended up to above her knees. She wore a black belt with silver chains attached to it around her midriff, and a tight leather jacket hung around her shoulders. Her hair - which had the red extensions in it again - hung in bunches around her face, which was dolled up with far too much make-up for Emma's taste.

All she really needed now was whip.

Emma let out a low whistle.

She'd forgotten just how... well, for lack of a better word, _slutty_ , Ruby had dressed during this time period.

Whilst she wasn't as close to the girl as she had been with Mary Margaret during the curse, Emma still considered Ruby one of her friends, but they'd become better friends after Ruby had matured from her time as Emma's assistant.

So to see her back in this state again, it was a little disheartening to the saviour.

It felt like all the work she'd done to get everyone their happy endings had all been undone.

But if Emma could help the people once, she could do it again.

And she would.

She'd save them all.

Emma stepped up to the counter, catching Ruby's attention for the first time.

"Hello" the blonde woman greeted politely, "I'd like a room".

Ruby blinked in surprise.

Emma couldn't blame her considering that nobody new ever came to Storybrooke.

"Err... sure" Ruby pulled herself together, "Forest or Square view? Normally there's an upgrade fee for the square view, but since old tight-arse up there has been on my case all my life, I'm happy to let you have it without the extra fee just to piss her off" she finished, glowered at the ceiling.

Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"She can't be all that bad" Emma chuckled.

"Oh, she is" Ruby scowled, "You haven't met her. Or have you? Sorry, but I don't recognise you as someone from Storybrooke".

"That's because I just arrived here tonight" Emma explained, "I'm Emma. Emma Swan".

She held out her hand to shake.

"Ruby Lucas" Ruby smiled at her, shaking her hand, "So what brings you to our quaint little town?"

"Just... I needed to get away from city life" Emma shrugged.

Although she wholly trusted Ruby - not something that she could say about a lot of people - she really didn't feel like getting into it all right now, especially considering she was just meeting Ruby again for the 'first' time.

"Ah" Ruby nodded, "Well you won't find much city life in Storybrooke, that's for sure, but it's nice enough. Anyway, square room? Please say yes so I can rip her off".

Emma laughed again.

"Sure, Square's fine" she nodded.

"Thank you" Ruby grinned.

Ruby picked up the diary on the desk and opened it to a blank page. She began writing in it, before she looked up at Emma again.

"So, how long will you be staying Miss Swan?" the red-clad woman asked.

Emma didn't like hearing one of her friends, even if that friendship hadn't yet been built, call her 'Miss Swan'.

It sounded far too much like Regina and Gold for her liking.

"Please, call me Emma" she said, before smiling, "And I'll be staying indefinitely for now".

"Great" Ruby smiled, writing that down.

She then stood up, took a key off the wall, and handed it to Emma.

"Welcome to Storybrooke" she smiled.

Emma resisted the urge to chuckle at the memory of Granny saying that to her in the last timeline as she took the key.

"Thanks Ruby... is it okay to call you Ruby?" Emma 'checked' for appearance's sake.

"Sure" Ruby nodded with a smile, "Now if you'd like to follow me Emma, I'll show you to your room and get someone to bring your luggage up".

"Oh no, I don't have any" Emma told her.

Ruby looked puzzled at hearing that, but quickly shrugged it off.

"Okay... must make packing for vacations easier if you don't take anything" Ruby joked and Emma laughed.

Ruby then led her to the staircase and up to the the first floor of bedrooms.

Emma noticed that they were heading towards the same room she had stayed in during the last timeline.

Ruby suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, concerned.

Ruby was listening hard to something, before she closed her eyes in distain.

Emma reasoned that it was her wolf-hearing at work, even if Ruby didn't have most of her powers during this time.

A door to their right suddenly opened, and out stepped Granny carrying a bundle of sheets from the bed she'd just changed.

She immediately huffed upon seeing her granddaughter.

"I thought I told you to go change" she grumbled.

Ruby glared at her in annoyance.

"I was about to, but we have a new guest, so I was showing her to her room first" Ruby informed her grandmother, "Is that alright with you?"

"Well... obviously" Granny huffed, not impressed by Ruby's attitude, before turning to Emma, "Welcome to Granny's. I'm Granny, the owner, and you are?"

"Emma Swan" Emma 'introduced' herself.

"A pleasure" Granny smiled at her politely, "I'm so sorry about my granddaughter's attire. She hasn't quite grasped the concept of dressing like a respectable person".

"Granny!" Ruby hissed, obviously embarrassed.

Granny just arched an eyebrow at her.

Ruby rolled her eyes.

"I hope you have an enjoyable stay Miss Swan" Granny turned back to her, smiling warmly once again, "And if you need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to ask".

"Thank you" Emma smiled politely.

Granny nodded, before leaving with the sheets in the direction of the laundry room.

"Sorry about her" Ruby shook her head, "She doesn't realise just how big of a pain in the neck she is".

"It's fine" Emma chuckled.

"Anyway, this will be your room" Ruby indicated the room Emma had stayed in last time.

"Thanks Ruby" Emma smiled, feeling exhausted.

"Any time" Ruby grinned, "Breakfast is served eight until ten, and it'll be in the diner. You can get to it from downstairs".

"Great" Emma forced a tired smile.

"Well, goodnight Emma" Ruby said kindly.

"Goodnight" Emma smiled back.

Once Ruby had walked away, Emma entered her room, locked the door behind her, and kicked off her shoes.

She didn't bother to remove her clothes though.

The blonde was simply too exhausted.

It was understandable after the day she'd just endured after all.

So pulling back the blankets, Emma climbed into the bed.

The saviour was asleep before her head even touched the pillow.

* * *

 **Yay!**

 **So Rumple is back, Emma's had her first new encounter with her deceased ex-boyfriend, and she's met Ruby and Granny again. I was really looking forward to all of these things happening : )**

 **Graham and Ruby are both two of my favourite characters in Once Upon A Time, so I was gutted when Jamie Dornan and Meghan Ory both left the show : (**

 **But this story means that I can explore what would have happened had they both stayed on : )** **I'm not even going to try and keep it a secret, Graham will live in this story : )**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review telling me your thoughts, ideas, or opinions : )**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	7. Gone Again

**Hello : ) I know it's been a while, but I got a case of writer's block with this story, and I've only just managed to break through it ;** **)**

 **Now, before we get to the chapter, there's something you all need to know. I got a few people that complained about the fact that I called Killian's Storybrooke counterpart 'Colin', which is fine - I mean, constructive criticism is welcome here. But the volume of people unhappy about me using the actual actor's name made me realise that I really needed to change it.**

 **To that end, I started looking names up on the internet, trying to find one that I liked. I was hoping that in season seven, Cursed Hook would have a name, but he doesn't, or at least not a first name. So it was up to me, and I didn't just want any random name. I wanted a name that meant something, and I particularly wanted a name for him that was connected to water.**

 **So, Killian Jones' Storybrooke counterpart in this story is now known as Wade Rogers.**

 **Wade because it was the only boy's name that was connected to water which I actually like, and Rogers in honour of the season seven character Officer Rogers. Now, I've gone back and edited chapters 5 and 6 with this name change, and whilst you're welcome to read them again if you want to, you don't have to as content wise, they're exactly the same, other than Colin is now called Wade.**

 **I just wanted to let you guys know that, otherwise you might all confused when reading this chapter : )**

 **Anyway, please remember that Once Upon A Time is not owned by me.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Gone Again**

* * *

Regina hardly slept that night.

She had spent some time trying and failing, tossing and turning about in her bed, but no matter how hard she wished for sleep, her troubled thoughts just wouldn't stop pestering her.

In the end, she just couldn't stand trying any more.

Now, several hours later, Regina was sitting at her dinning room table, her elbows propped up on its surface, her face in her hands as she tried to calm her panicked heart and alarming thoughts.

She'd be trying all night, and not having much success.

And the reason for Regina's panic and alarm was one singular person.

Emma Swan.

The woman that had given birth to _her_ son.

Regina glared at the table so heatedly that it was a miracle that the mahogany wood didn't burst into flames. She couldn't help it though, because she was absolutely _livid_.

How _dare_ that woman come here?

Who the hell did she think she was, just waltzing back into Henry's life ten years after tossing him away?

 _She_ was Henry's mother.

Her and her alone.

And if Emma Swan thought differently to that, then she was in for a rude awakening. Deep down though, Regina's logical side knew that it wasn't really Miss Swan's fault that Henry had gone off to find her.

But Regina didn't want logic to make her reasonable.

She wanted Emma Swan out of Storybrooke as soon as was physically possible.

It wasn't just the fact that Miss Swan had given birth to Henry either. Regina wanted her gone for another reason.

Strangers never came to Storybrooke. _Ever_. That was exactly how Regina liked it, because whilst that held true, it meant that nothing ever changed in Storybrooke, and her power was absolute.

But then - how had a stranger arrived?

Kurt and Owen Flynn had only managed it because the town had been created around them when the curse first brought them all into this realm.

It should have been impossible for Miss Swan to even _see_ the town, nevermind cross over into it. Regina thought about how that could have happened.

Her blood turned to ice in her veins as one particularly unpleasant answer came to her.

No.

No way.

It couldn't be!

 _But_...

Yesterday had marked a very important day for the history of Storybrooke. Although nobody in the town but her was aware of it, yesterday had marked the town's twenty-eighth anniversary of existence.

And the prophecy said that _she'd_ come on her twenty-eighth year...

 _No_.

Regina shook herself violently, trying to rid herself of that terrible thought.

She forcefully reminded herself that she had _won_.

That was all there was too it. She had won and everyone else had lost, and that was exactly how it was going to stay.

There would be no saviour, no matter what the prophecy said.

Besides, there was no proof that Miss Swan even _was_ the so-called saviour. For all Regina knew, the timing could just be a coincidence.

Still, Emma Swan needed keeping an eye on, if only because Regina didn't want Henry anywhere near that woman.

Regina nodded to herself.

She'd keep an eye on Miss Swan, and hope that in a few days she would leave and never come back, and be out of her hair for good.

She had just come to this decision as the first rays of sunlight began spilling through the windows.

Sighing, Regina picked herself up from her chair, and went to start making breakfast for herself and _her_ son. And once they were done, she and Henry would have a good long talk.

Everything was going to be fine.

Miss Swan wasn't going to cause her any problems.

Regina wouldn't let her.

* * *

When Emma's eyes fluttered open the next morning, it took her a few seconds to figure out why she was looking up at the ceiling of one of Granny's rooms at the inn, instead of that of her room at the loft.

At first her sluggish mind came up with the theory that her magic was playing up, and that she had accidently transported herself in her sleep.

Her control over her powers was still rather erratic after all.

But as her mind fully began to awaken, the memories of the previous day fell on Emma like a thunderstorm.

Her eyes widened in horror.

All but flinging herself from the bed, Emma darted across the room, hurried into the ensuite bathroom, and promptly threw up into the toilet.

Gasping, Emma eventually retracted her head, and wiped the vomit off her chin.

She sank to her knees in despair.

Emma tried her best to hold them in, but the saviour just couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes and trailed across her cheeks. A choked sob escaped her lips.

She was alone. _Again_.

Her son, her parents, her friends, her potential lover... all of them _gone_.

 _God_ , if she had known just how awful this felt - going back to being alone again - well... she'd never have even _considered_ leaving Storybrooke after defeating the Wicked Witch.

She knew now that she'd never have been able to bare the pain of it.

A family.

She _finally_ had a family, and now she'd lost it all again, thanks to this whole bloody time-travel crap.

Her loved ones had never even known her now.

More tears fell from her eyes.

Emma wished like hell that she could take it all back. That she had never expressed a desire to return to New York with Henry.

Perhaps this was her punishment.

All her life, she'd longed for a family, yet she'd been willing to turn her back on them simply because she was terrified. Terrified of the possibility of a happy future with people that _really_ loved her.

On some level, it was understandable.

Emma had never had people that loved her before, so it was very daunting for her to suddenly have that. But now she was stuck in the past again, without that love once more.

And it killed her.

It simply _killed_ her.

Another sob of despair escaped Emma.

Yesterday she had just taken everything on the chin.

Now though... _now_ it was getting to her.

How could life be so cruel to her?

She must have done something _really_ terrible in a past life to constantly be punished for it in this one. All she wanted was the chance to be happy.

Was that really too much to ask for?

Emma took a few strained gasps to try and get some air back into her lungs.

She knew that she couldn't do... _this_. She couldn't fall apart.

Struggling to get her breathing and her tears under control, eventually Emma's sobs died down into the occasional sniffle. Forcing her legs to co-operate, Emma managed to stagger back to her feet.

Emma looked into the mirror in the bathroom, and winced.

Her eyes were a clear sign that she'd been crying. She decided there and then that she had to do better.

Emma refused to be _weak_.

It was a luxury she'd never had before and she didn't have that luxury now either.

All she needed was a plan after all. The only trouble was, Emma _still_ wasn't sure which path it was that she _really_ wanted to plan for.

Return to her own place in time, or stay here and take this second chance?

A miserable sigh slipped her lips.

Emma might not even have a choice in that. If she had magic here, in this time, before Rumplestiltskin brought magic to Storybrooke, then yes - it was possible she could get back to her own time.

If she didn't, she was screwed.

Well, screwed until the curse broke, but by then it would be too late.

Already she was finding that the smallest changes had consequences, meaning that if she stayed here for a year, a _lot_ of stuff would change, whether she wanted it to or not.

And if so much did in fact change, than the time that she'd come from, wouldn't even _exist_.

Emma rubbed her temples, feeling the on-set of a headache building.

Right now she just had to focus on getting through today without changing to much. Today was the day she'd first met her mother, and the first day upon which she'd really started to connect with her son.

It was important that she didn't screw either of those things up.

Bracing herself for what no doubt promised to be a challenge, Emma decided it was time to take on the day.

* * *

Regina was struggling not to fly into a panic, when panic was threatening to consume her.

Henry wasn't in his room.

He was nowhere in the rest of the house either.

Obviously he had run away again, and more than likely trying to find Miss Swan. And if Henry didn't know that Miss Swan hadn't left town last night, than he was likely trying to get to Boston again.

Regina shivered at the idea of her sweet, innocent son walking the streets of a city he didn't know, where _anything_ could happen to him.

She was just praying that she was wrong, and that Henry was still somewhere in Storybrooke.

It was based on that prayer that she was currenty racing down the halls of the sheriff's station. She passed the town's drunk, Leroy, who was leaving without sparing him a glance.

"Graham!" she cried upon entering the area where Graham's office and the cells were, "Henry's run away again. We have to find him".

Graham turned to her, surprise and worry etched into his face.

"He's gone missing again?" he repeated in shock.

"Yes!" Regina cried in anguish, "And I'm afraid that he might have gone to Boston again, to find Miss Swan".

"But Miss Swan is still in Storybrooke" Graham frowned in confusion.

Regina tilted her head. How could Graham possibly know that... unless of course he'd eavesdropped on her conversation with Miss Swan the previous night.

She'd have his badge if he had.

"How do you know that?" she demanded, her tone hardening.

"I spoke to her last night" he shrugged at her, not getting why she cared but knowing her well enough not to invoke her temper by asking, "Seems a nice enough woman. I told her that if she needed a bed for the night she should go to Granny's".

Regina nodded slowly, accepting that answer.

"Then we should go there first" she said decisively, "And if Henry's with her, I want her arrested on kidnapping charges. Henry is _my_ son, not her's, and I don't want anyone to forget that".

"Of course, Madam Mayor" Graham nodded dutifully.

They both left the sheriff's station, both of them hoping that Henry was safe and sound.

* * *

Emma walked into the diner, hoping that she looked more composed than she felt. She sat in one of the booths, and almost immediately, Ruby glided over, wished her a good morning, before she started reading the menu out to her.

Emma couldn't help but smile at the idea of food.

She'd lost track of how long it had been since she'd last eaten, but she was bloody _starving_ now.

Food in her belly would do her the world of good.

Once her order had been placed, Ruby darted off again, and not ten minutes later Emma's order arrived, a steamy hot stack of Granny's homemade pancakes, yum!

She was so busy tucking into them, that she didn't notice the door open behind her, or the familiar figure that walked in.

"Ah!" a voice chuckled, making Emma jump, "So last night _wasn't_ just a wonderful dream, and you actually are real".

Emma couldn't help but smile.

God, even the effect just this man's voice had on her astonished her. But Emma couldn't help it. She just found it so... _calming,_ somehow.

Wade Rogers stood before her, grinning that oh-so-charming grin at her.

Emma almost felt the urge to blush. _Almost_.

Instead, she just returned his smile, and replied to his comment.

"Oh, I'm too real for you buddy, trust me" she teased.

Wade laughed that wonderful laugh of his, and gestured towards the seat opposite Emma, silently asking if she minded him sitting with her.

"Be my guest" she smiled.

"So..." he said slowly as he took a seat, "How was your first night in our quaint little town? Anything to report, Swan?"

Emma felt a pang of dejection in her heart at hearing _Hook's_ nickname for her, but she quickly reminded herself that Wade wasn't necessary a different person from Killian, more like just an extension of him.

"Nothing much" Emma shrugged nonchalantly, "Met a few of the townspeople like Granny and Ruby, the sheriff... oh, and that Mr Gold character too".

The blonde focused very hard on Wade's reaction as she said that last name.

After seeing Killian's hook in Rumplestiltskin's shop the previous night, Emma had been curious whether or not Wade and Gold had history together, forged from their fake curse memories.

Wade didn't even blink.

Emma sighed in relief.

Apparently they didn't, which could only be a good thing. She just hoped that Gold would leave Wade alone, because back in this time, Rumple had been very keen to kill Captain Hook, very keen indeed.

"That's good" Wade nodded and smiled, "So, have you thought anymore about my offer? To show you around town sometime?"

Emma arched an eyebrow.

"I thought you were just saying that as part of all that flirting" she replied honestly.

"No" Wade laughed and shook his head, "I really meant it. Storybrooke has some nice little spots if you know where to look".

Emma already knew practically the entire town of course, but the more she thought about it, the more an idea began taking shape in her mind.

If she and Wade spent time together, they could build up a friendship again.

That could prove useful in the future, especially if they were both stuck here. And if that was the case, then Emma would need to find a way of restoring Hook's memories, if only to find out exactly what he'd changed in the past to end up here now.

A friendship would be the key to that.

Plus she _really_ wanted to spend more time with him anyway.

Emma honestly didn't know what it was about Hook, but something about him just drew her in and allowed her to lower her defences a little. Wade wasn't all that different either.

"I'd like that a lot Wade" Emma eventually said, honestly meaning it.

Wade beamed at her.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never had the chance to be spoken, for at that moment the door to the diner opened with an almighty _crash_ , and in stormed Regina Mills, looking positively furious, with Sheriff Graham trailing along behind her.

Emma's heart sank.

So Henry had disappeared again.

Emma hadn't really expected that to change, she knew it was still going to happen, but she honestly was _not_ in the mood to be dealing with Regina right now.

Not when her sort-of-friend was a complete bitch again.

"Miss Swan" Regina all-but-snarled as she approached Emma's table, "I'm only going to ask this once, and so help me if you lie to me, I will make sure you _live_ to regret it".

Many diners stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfold.

"Good morning to you too" Emma scowled sarcastically, not the slightest bit intimidated.

Across from her, Wade bit back a smirk, impressed.

Practically everyone in town was terrified of their mayor. Even Wade himself had a _bit_ of fear for her, but he was able to hide it behind a mask of bravado. So for Emma to not show any fear of her at all... well, that just made Wade like her all the more.

He _was_ curious as to how Mayor Mills and Emma Swan even knew each other though.

"Where. Is. My. Son?" Regina hissed through clenched teeth.

Emma forced her features to look surprised.

The last thing she needed was to appear as though she'd been expecting this to happen. It would only give Regina a reason to have Graham lock her up, and that could throw off everything that needed to happen today.

To that end, Emma began her web of lies.

"Honey, I haven't seen him since I dropped him off at your house last night" Emma told her bluntly, _really_ not in the mood for her attitude today, "And I haven't left here all morning. You can check with Granny or Ruby and they'll tell you".

Regina's nostrils flared angrily.

"Well he wasn't in his room this morning" she retorted, just barely keeping her tone calm and collected, "And after yesterday's... _events_... you'll forgive me if I happen to think that you might know more than you're willing to share".

Wade and Graham - not to mention everyone else in the diner - watched the pair of them like hawks, wondering how this would play out.

Emma didn't reply immediately.

Instead she inwardly frowned.

She was trying to think of a way to turn this situation to her advantage. Perhaps if she could point out just how troubled Henry was and make her understand, Regina might actually focus on fixing her own relationship with her son.

It would be much better for Regina than spending all her time and effort on ruining the chance of Emma having one with him.

"If you want to find him, I suggest you try his friends" Emma finally said, and Regina's eyes flashed.

"He doesn't really have any" the brunette told her uncaringly, "He's kind of a loner".

Emma tried hard not to wince.

She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Henry to grow up in Storybrooke, living the same day over and over again, and being the only person in the entire town that aged.

Even if he had made friends, he'd have to leave them behind when he progressed to the next grade in school without them.

It must have been _awful_ for him, so why couldn't Regina see that?

"And that doesn't worry you?" Emma demanded, starting to lose her cool herself now, "Every kid needs friends. Aren't you the slightest bit bothered by that, if what you say is true?"

Regina bristled with rage.

Who the _hell_ was this woman to give _her_ lectures on childcare?!

"I don't remember asking you for your opinion on my parenting style Miss Swan, so kindly don't stick your nose into business that doesn't concern you" Regina's tone was practically acidic by this point, "Now, do you know where Henry is or not?!"

"I do not" Emma was forced to lie again, "Have you checked his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them".

"What part of 'he's kind of a loner' didn't you understand?" Regina retorted angrily, "Come on Graham, we're wasting our time with her".

" _Or_ " Emma spoke up before either of them could move, "He might have made travel arrangements online. He managed to get to Boston yesterday, and it's not like he walked there".

Regina paused, loathed to admit that Emma had made a good point.

"Very well, we'll check his computer" she sneered at the blonde icily, "Let's go Graham".

Regina started to leave, but Emma's voice made her pause.

"If you like, I can help you find him" Emma suggested.

Regina whirled on the spot, her face red with rage.

"And why would I want _your_ help?!" she spat in anger, "I'm his mother. It's _my_ job to find him, not _yours_ ".

Many of the people in the diner flinched at her tone, but Emma stood her ground.

"Finding people is what I do for a living" Emma 'informed' her, "But if you think you can do it by yourself, then please, be my guest".

Regina looked about ready to punch her for that one, but instead she simply turned to Graham, wanting his opinion.

The sheriff, looking like a deer in the headlights, shrugged.

"She could be useful" he said reasonably.

Regina looked as though she'd swallowed something vile, but nodded in acceptance. Throwing one last look of contempt at Emma, Regina turned on her heel and marched out of the diner.

Graham threw an apologetic look Emma's way before following the mayor.

Emma let out a sympathetic sigh for him.

It was so obvious now just how under the thumb Graham was, and the worst part was, it was all because Regina was controlling him via his heart. Graham couldn't even fight back.

"Bloody hell" Wade whispered behind her, snapping Emma out of her thoughts, "I thought she was going to scratch your eyes out".

Emma was again reminded of all that of she'd lost, including the beginnings of a friendship with the Regina from the future.

Plastering on a smile, Emma turned around to face Wade.

"Nah" she shook her head, "She might break a nail".

Wade sniggered in agreement, before a thoughtful and serious expression overtook his face.

"Would you like an extra pair of hands to help track down the lad?" he suddenly offered kindly.

Emma was momentarily surprised, then beamed at him.

"Really?" she couldn't help but ask.

It was still a foreign concept to Emma after the difficult life that she'd led, that someone should offer her help simply because they could, and not because they wanted something in return.

"Of course" Wade nodded with a soft smile, "You want to find the lad, don't you?"

"I do" Emma confirmed.

"Well then, the more people looking, the sooner that'll happen" Wade reasoned.

Emma grinned up at him and nodded.

Together, they left the diner, both equally determined.

* * *

Regina had not been pleased by Wade tagging along, but Emma had quickly pointed out to her that by having more people help out, the sooner Henry would be returned to her.

Regina was all for _that_ , so she'd reluctantly agreed that he could come.

Now she, Wade, Graham and Emma were all in Henry's bedroom, the other three watching as Emma worked at the computer - Wade and Graham looking on with curiosity, Regina with an ugly scowl.

"Smart kid, he cleared his inbox" Emma muttered, purely for effect.

Hell, even checking the computer was for effect, since she knew exactly how Henry had found her and whose credit card he'd used to do it.

"Anything you can do to undo that?" Wade asked curiously.

"Of course" Emma grinned at him, "I'm smart too after all. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use".

Wade chuckled upon hearing that. The lad probably wouldn't be too happy about _that_ once they had located him.

"I'm a bit more old fashioned in my techniques" Graham admitted to them, "Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing".

"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery" Emma told him bluntly, "Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get".

"To be fair though, in a small town like Storybrooke, his methods work well enough" Wade said fairly.

"Thank you" Graham smiled at him.

"Whatever... oh, now _that's_ interesting" Emma said thoughtfully.

"What?" Regina, who had been oddly quiet, asked.

"There's a receipt for a website. He deleted it but I got it back..." Emma explained for the others' benefit, "And it's expensive too. Surely he doesn't have a credit card?"

"Of course not" Regina scoffed, "He's only ten years old".

"Well, he used one" Emma said, typing away on the keyboard.

"Can you pull up a transaction record?" Wade queried.

"I'm doing it now" Emma nodded at him.

A name appeared on the screen.

Emma swallowed hard.

This next part of the day was not going to be easy for her.

Not at all.

For Emma had a cruel and horrible task ahead of her.

She was going to have to pretend to not know her _own mother_.

"Mary Margaret Blanchard…" Emma said slowly, trying her very best to keep her voice level when all she wanted to do was cry for the loss of a mother who didn't even know her daughter existed yet... "Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"

Regina's eyes darkened with undisguised loathing.

"Henry's teacher" she snarled.

Emma swallowed hard, fighting off tears, as she valiantly tried to keep her emotions in check.

It was time to meet her mother.

* * *

 **And there's another chapter : )**

 **I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It doesn't feel like that much is really happening. To be perfectly honest, I was originally planning this to be the last chapter of the 'Pilot' episode, but it ended up being so long that I just had to split it up. Oh well ; )**

 **So Regina is starting to get suspicious.** **She doesn't know for sure that Emma is the saviour yet. She's just praying the timing is a coincidence : )**

 **Emma will make her decision soon.** **Let's face it, we all know what it is, but I want _her_ to know that soon as well : )**

 **And Wade, he's so sweet to Emma. I can't wait to wake Hook up though, although I still have no idea when that's going to be : )**

 **Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave a review, because you guys always give great advice about how to proceed with this story : )**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	8. Mothers and Sons

**Surprise! I know this is quicker than I usually get updates up, but I really wanted to get this particular chapter posted as it marks the final chapter of the 'Pilot' episode : ) Plus I already had a lot of it written, so it was just a case of polishing it up : )**

 **Now, before we get to the actual chapter, there's something I'd like you all to do. Once you've finished reading this chapter, please can you read the bottom author's note as there's something important to this story that I'd like my readers' input on. Thank you : )**

 **Other than that, I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter and this story in general, and also please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine : )**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Mothers and Sons**

* * *

Regina had informed Graham that between herself, Emma, and Wade; they had more than enough people going to Henry's school to question Miss Blanchard, and had sent the sheriff off to go look elsewhere in Storybrooke for Henry.

Emma knew that he wouldn't find him before she did though.

After all, he hadn't in the original timeline, so why should he in this new one?

Now she, Regina, and Wade were all walking down the corridor towards Mary Margaret's classroom in silence. Regina didn't want to speak to either of them, and Wade was trying to figure out what the deal was between Emma and Regina.

Emma was more than grateful for the silence.

It gave her time to think about how she wanted to play this.

Emma hoped that she appeared calm and collected, and not as though she felt like she was about to throw up again, which she did.

She couldn't help it though.

In a few moment's time, she was going to meet her mother _for the second time_.

That in itself was daunting enough, but add in Emma's foreknowledge of the future to come, and she knew _exactly_ how important this 'first' meeting was in the chain of events.

If things didn't go right today, who knew what effect it might have on the future?

They arrived outside the open door.

Emma swallowed, _hard_.

It was time to meet her mother again.

At that exact moment, the school bell rang, and the children began filing out of the classroom. Rolling her eyes, Regina just shoved her way through them all roughly, but Emma and Wade were more gentle and calm as they followed her.

Mary Margaret, who had been watching her class to make sure no one was running, noticed them enter.

As soon as Emma clapped eyes on her, she hungrily drank her in.

This woman was _her mother_.

She had _given birth_ to her.

How had Emma failed to see it the first time around?

Sure, they may have been the same age, but Emma should have been able to look past that.

She should have been more open to believing and having hope.

 _Now_ she could change that.

"Miss Mills" Mary Margaret swallowed nervously, always feeling intimidated by the town's mayor, "What are you doing here?"

"Where is my son?" Regina hissed at her.

"Henry?" Mary Margaret blinked in confusion, "I assumed he was home sick with you".

"Would I be looking for him with these people if he was?!" Regina snapped.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma and Wade for the first time.

"Oh, hello" she said politely, "It's Mr Rogers right?"

"Aye" Wade nodded, "Hello Miss Blanchard".

Mary Margaret returned his polite smile, before looking at Emma.

"And I'm sorry" the black haired woman apologised, "But I don't think we've met?"

Emma swore she felt her heart break in that moment.

 _Of course she doesn't remember either. None of it's happened yet… but oh god… my mom… twenty eight years she's waited for me to arrive… and she has no idea who I am… oh mom…_

"I'm…" what could Emma say? Your daughter? Yeah, that would go over well. _Not_ , _"_ Emma Swan" she finished, a little lamely.

"A pleasure" Mary Margaret said genuinely.

Emma forced a strained smile.

"Enough with the introductions!" Regina fumed, losing all patience with the situation, "Did you give _my son_ your credit card so that he could go find Miss Swan?"

Mary Margaret looked very confused.

"I'm sorry" she shook her head, glancing at Emma questioningly, "I know that your name is Emma Swan, but… who are you? I mean in all this... whatever _this_ is?"

Emma heaved a great sigh.

"I'm the woman that gave birth to Henry" she explained softly.

Mary Margaret's - not to mention Wade's - eyes widened in shock.

Emma mentally cringed.

That was _so_ not how she wanted to let Wade know that she had a child, even if his Captain Hook persona already knew that.

She just hoped it wouldn't put him off.

Not that her love life was her main focus right now - of course it wasn't - but Emma needed to establish a friendship with him again at the very least, and it would be difficult to do that if he decided to run a mile.

"She's also the woman who gave him up for adoption" Regina cut in pointedly.

Emma closed her eyes in pain.

 _And I'll always regret doing that._

Wade felt a surge of sympathy for Emma when he caught the pained look of shame, guilt and misery that flashed across her face. He wanted to pull her into his arms for a hug, but they were virtually strangers, and he had no idea how she'd respond to that.

He was surprised that Emma had a kid, but even more surprised to learn that _Regina_ of all people had adopted said kid. He wouldn't have pictured her as the maternal type.

Mary Margaret also felt a pang of sympathy for the other woman, but felt it wasn't really her place to comment since they had quite literally just met each other.

Instead, the petite school teacher started to pull out her purse.

"You don't know anything about this do you?" Emma pretended to realise.

"No, unfortunately not" Mary Margaret shook her head. She looked through her purse, and sure enough, one of her credit cards was indeed missing.

"Clever boy…" the black haired woman sighed, "I should never have given him that book".

 _Actually mom, that's the best thing your cursed-self ever did._

 _"_ What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina demanded rudely.

Emma was forced to work really hard not to roll her eyes.

The mayor's attitude problem was starting to get _really_ old, _really_ quickly.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He _needed_ it" Mary Margaret said firmly, and Emma was proud of her for saying it.

"What he needs is a dose of reality" Regina hissed back.

"Or at least _someone_ around here does" Emma muttered under her breath.

Wade sniggered, but thankfully Regina didn't hear her comment. Or if she did she didn't acknowledge her.

"This is a waste of time" Regina whirled on the spot and started to leave.

As she went, the mayor deliberately knocked over a stack of books on one of the desks. They tumbled to the floor as Regina left the other three behind.

"Vicious cow" Wade grunted as he knelt down to pick up some of the books.

"Mr Rogers!" Mary Margaret gasped.

Emma forced down a smile at how much that sounded like Snow White when scolding Grumpy for his bluntness.

Then the smile faded, and her heart ached.

She _missed_ her parents, her son, Hook, and her friends so much.

This whole time-travel crap just wasn't fair!

"Well she is" Wade insisted in a dark tone, pulling Emma back from where her thoughts had gone, "We were only just trying to help after all".

"We're sorry to bother you" Emma apologised, not knowing what else to say.

She too knelt down and helped Mary Margaret and Wade to pick up the fallen books.

There was so much she wanted to say right now.

So much she should have said back in the future, and now it was too late.

Mary Margaret didn't know her.

They had no relationship at all.

All of it was gone.

It was like losing her parents all over again.

And it made Emma; strong, sassy, bold _Emma Swan_ ; want to cry like the little orphan she still was at heart.

"No it's… It's okay" Mary Margaret waved off the apology, "I hear this is partially my fault".

"How's a book supposed to help?" Wade couldn't help but ask.

Mary Margaret threw him an amused yet somehow also serious look.

"What do you think stories are for? These stories are classics. There's a reason we all know them" she explained, and this time Emma found a whole new meaning in her mother's words, "They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life".

Emma flinched, feeling guilty for giving him up all over again.

"Like I said, Regina's a nasty piece of work" Wade shrugged his shoulders.

Mary Margaret shook her head sadly.

"No, it's more than her" she explained, feeling sorry for the boy they were talking about, "He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face".

Emma's eyes darkened.

She knew that question very well after all, having asked herself it every day for twenty eight - almost twenty nine - years. Then the curse broke, and she got her answers.

Those answers still hurt her, but it was better than still asking the question.

 _Much_ better.

"Why would anyone give me away?" Emma whispered.

She forced away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

Mary Margaret looked horrified, and quickly reached out and rubbed her shoulder.

"I am so sorry. I'm shouldn't have said that. It must be a very painful subject for you Miss Swan and I'm so sorry that I brought it up. I didn't mean in any way to judge you" the teacher quickly assured her.

Emma had to fight off a watery laugh.

 _You'd be a bit of a hypocrite if you were judging me mom… even if you can't remember it… oh mom… what the hell am I supposed to do? How can I be a hero if I don't know how?_

 _"_ I know you didn't mean anything by it" Emma wiped her eyes and forced a smile for Mary Margaret's sake.

Wade watched Emma sadly, feeling sorry for her.

He had no idea what he could possibly say to her though. He just hoped that Emma knew that if she ever needed a friendly ear, he had two of them.

After all, sometimes it was easier sharing your problems with a complete stranger.

Not that he wanted them to always be strangers, of course.

"I'm still sorry if I upset you. The point is, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. _Hope_. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing" Mary Margaret told them both seriously.

There was a pause in which none of them said anything.

"You know where Henry is" Wade broke it suddenly, watching Mary Margaret intently, "Don't you?"

Both Emma and Mary Margaret were surprised by his intuitiveness.

Instead of answering right away, Mary Margaret looked up at Wade thoughtfully.

"I still don't get your interest in this, Mr Rogers" she said nervously, although her face gave it away since she looked completely caught out.

Emma opened her mouth to explain, but Wade beat her to it.

"It's the honourable thing to do" he told Mary Margaret, "There's a young lad missing, so I offered to help find him since Emma's new in town".

"Oh" Mary Margaret blinked, "I see... and there was me beginning to think that you might be Henry's biological father".

Emma almost choked.

Wade blushed an impressive shade of red.

"No!" they both cried in unison.

"Definitely not!" Emma almost shouted.

"Absolutely no way!" Wade added, equally embarrassed.

"Errr…" Mary Margaret didn't know what else to say.

There was an extremely awkward pause.

"You were about to tell us where you think Henry might be" Emma prompted her, simply to alleviant the awkwardness of the moment.

Mary Margaret sighed, before finally giving in.

"You might want to check his castle" she suggested.

* * *

As Emma approached the site of Henry's 'castle' with Wade trailing along behind her, she tried her best to ignore the churning sensation knawing away at her stomach.

She knew that this was the moment that Henry first felt connected to her, as was it the moment that that _she_ had first felt a connection to _him_.

And Emma cherished that.

She truly did.

But the reality of reliving that moment was also very daunting. What if she accidently changed something? What if she messed something up?

Losing Henry… no… _never forming_ that relationship with Henry… it wouldn't just break her.

It would _destroy_ her.

"Are you sure you want me here for this, Swan? It's a rather personal moment, don't you think?" Wade asked her, breaking her from her reverie.

Emma closed her eyes, pained.

Truth be told, if he was Hook right now, she'd probably ask him to stay with her, for fear of facing this alone.

As it was, he was Wade, _not_ Hook, and he was right.

This was a moment between her and her son, and that was how it should remain, regardless of how many times Emma would live through it.

"Do you mind waiting?" she asked.

Wade offered her a supportive smile.

"Of course I don't mind" he assured her kindly, "I'll just… wait by your bug until you and the lad are done".

Offering him a grateful smile, Emma nodded her thanks and headed over to Henry.

She plopped down next to him, and handed him the storybook which she had retrieved from under the seat in her car on the way over.

Unsure of how to even pretend to begin, Emma decided to follow the original timeline for the moment. This was a conversation she'd committed to memory after all.

"You left this in my car" she said quietly.

"Thanks" Henry sighed sadly.

The mother and son both looked across to the clock tower. Its hands were still frozen at 8:15.

Emma so desperately wanted to explain to Henry that she was staying, that she wasn't going anywhere, but she knew she couldn't.

Her son was a stranger to her now.

And given the situation between herself and Regina during this time period, if Emma said the wrong thing to Henry and he repeated it to Regina... well, it could have less than desirable consequences for Emma.

She needed to play this _very_ carefully.

"Still hasn't moved, huh?" Emma asked for appearance's sake.

A dejected sigh escaped Henry's lips.

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here" he said miserably, "That the final battle would begin".

Emma bit her lip, searching for a response instead of immediately shooting him down like she'd done in the original timeline.

"Well… not every battle can be fought in the way you'd expect" she eventually landed on.

"What do you mean?" Henry turned to her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Henry… you need to talk to your mom" Emma told him gently.

The boy's face instantly darkened.

"I don't want to talk to her" Henry grumbled stubbornly, "She's _evil_ ".

"Is she? I mean, I'll admit, ever since I've met her, she's been nothing but a right royal pain in the ass" Emma told him, making him smirk in amusement, "And I know she doesn't always listen to you, but that's why you've got to talk to her. You need to make her see reason… for everyone".

A scoff of sheer disbelief escaped Henry.

"You think that my mom will lift her own curse just because I ask her too?" Henry asked her incredulously, "There is absolutely _no_ chance of that happening. It's _you_ that has to break the curse… it's your destiny. _You're_ going to bring back the happy endings".

 _I will Henry. I promise, I won't let you down again kid. I'm going back bring all our happy endings. I promise._

Emma so badly wanted to say those words aloud to him. She wanted him to know she was on his side, that he wasn't alone.

But alas, she _couldn't_.

Not yet anyway.

And that killed Emma.

It simply killed her.

So forcing herself to plough through her painful thoughts of seemingly impossible promises, Emma replied with the response she thought was best, or at least, would hopefully prove advantageous in the future.

"This isn't about the curse kid, it's about you" Emma informed him, "You love Regina, it's obvious. And she loves you. You two just need to rebuild your relationship".

The look on Henry's face told her he wasn't impressed.

"But the book says..." he started, ignoring her words.

"Just forget about the book for now! Focus on you, not the curse and not me!" Emma insisted, tone bordering on the edge of impatience.

Unfortunately, Henry picked up on that.

"You don't have to be hostile" he huffed, before smiling up at her, "I know you like me – I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance".

Emma's heart ached with unimaginable pain.

If he only knew _just how much_ she regretted giving him up.

Hell, if the Time Portal had sent her back to her teenage years when she was pregnant, she'd have changed the past and kept Henry, to hell with the consequences.

"How do you know that?" Emma pretended to ask, though the tears threatening to fall were very real.

"Because it's the same reason Snow White gave you away" Henry told her simply.

"Listen to me, Henry" Emma bit her lip uncertainly, unsure whether to say this or not, but she decided to anyway, "I think I believe you... at least to an extent. Things in this town are just… really _weird_. And you're right about something else too. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. Or at least, not _just_ with me. You need Regina too".

Emma really hated what she knew had to happen next.

"Come on Henry" she said wearily, "Let's get you home".

She jumped down off the edge of the toy castle and Henry followed her, pleading with her as she set off towards where Wade was waiting by the yellow bug for them.

"Please don't take me back there" Henry pleaded with Emma, "Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy"

"I don't think you're crazy" Emma told him sincerely, "And I _am_ going to stick around for a little while".

She couldn't help but smile when Henry's face lit up at those words.

"Y-you are?" he asked, happily stunned.

"I am" Emma confirmed, before she frowned, "But I still have to get you back to your mom".

Henry's face fell again.

"You don't know what it's like with her" Henry was almost in tears now, "My life _sucks_!"

And then suddenly Emma couldn't hold it back anymore.

In the past few days, she had lost the father of her child, battled the Wicked Witch of the West, gained a brother, lost him and everybody else who'd ever loved her, got sent backwards in time, and ended up all on her own, _again_.

And here was Henry, who had two mothers who loved him so much that they'd fought tooth and nail for him, and he had the _audacity_ to claim that _his_ life sucked.

Before she could stop them, heated words were spewing from Emma's mouth.

"Oh, you want to know what sucking is, _young man_?" Emma growled angrily, "Being left alone and defenceless in _the woods_. I didn't even get dropped off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own so then they sent me _back_ ".

Emma forced herself to stop there.

She mentally reprimanded herself for she'd just done, and reminded herself that she was a mother, and was supposed to put her child's feelings before her own.

It wasn't Henry's fault all this crap was happening, so she wasn't going to take it out on him.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Emma continued in a much calmer voice.

"Look, Regina is trying her best" the blonde said with all the patience she could muster, "I know it can be awfully hard for you, and I know sometimes you might feel she doesn't love you, but I am absolutely sure that she does. But even if she didn't, at least she _wants_ you".

The look on Henry's face was difficult to read.

For one second, Emma was hopeful that her words might just have gotten through to him.

Then...

"Your parents didn't leave you alone in the woods" Henry told her insistantly, "That's just where you came through into this world".

Emma couldn't hold back a small sigh of frustration.

 _Seriously?_

 _That_ was his only take-away?

"Did you even listen to a single word I just said about your mom?" Emma huffed.

"The wardrobe" Henry persisted, ignoring her words entirely, "When you went through the wardrobe you appeared in the woods. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse".

Emma couldn't help but shake her head.

If she'd ever had doubts before, she most-certainly knew now that Henry was her kid through and through.

Mostly because he had deflection down to as fine an art as she did.

"Alright Henry, I get it" Emma sighed sadly, "You want me to leave it alone. Fine. I will. Now come on. Home".

They set off walking again, joining up with Wade as they arrived at Emma's bug.

Henry threw the man a curious look, but didn't ask why he was with Emma, or even speak at all, as he climbed into the passenger side of the bug.

Wade gave Emma a concerned glance.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

Emma couldn't help but smile at the concern in his tone.

It was still something she wasn't used too - people showing her concern. She hoped to god that's she'd never start taking it for granted.

"I... I will be" Emma replied honestly.

Wade offered her a strained smile, before they both got into the bug.

As she started up the car and began driving in the direction of Regina's house, Emma glanced over at her son, wanting to bring up the subject of his relationship with his other mother again.

But Henry wasn't even looking at her.

In fact, he was staring out the window, almost like he was ignoring her.

Emma felt a pang of dejection at that thought, and really, _really_ hoped that wasn't what he was doing.

Still, she would leave the subject be for now, but sooner or later, she was going to get Henry to talk to Regina properly, and they were going to rebuild their relationship in the right way.

Of that she was determined.

* * *

Wade had decided to stay in the bug whilst Emma delivered Henry back to Regina. A wise choice too, considering the ugly look on Regina's face when Henry ran straight past her and went upstairs.

Turning to Emma, and looking like she was about to choke on her words, Regina begrudgingly thanked her.

"Thank you" she said through clenched teeth.

"No problem" Emma shrugged.

"Are you still convinced sticking around is the best solution Miss Swan?" Regina asked with a cold sneer.

"Yes" Emma replied bluntly, "Can I ask you something?" she asked carefully, trying to keep it civilized.

"You can try" Regina told her coldly, "I can't guarantee I'll answer it though".

"Do you love him?" Emma asked.

"What the hell kind of question is that?!" Regina snapped, temper boiling immediately.

"Do you love him?" Emma repeated, tone insistant.

" _Of course_ I love him" Regina snapped.

"Then please, go in there and talk to him. Don't… punishment him; don't shout at him… just… talk to him. Please" Emma pleaded.

Regina looked just about ready to knock Emma out.

"As I told you before Miss Swan, kindly keep your opinions about parenting to yourself. Especially since you've had no practice" Regina shot at her.

"I'm just trying to help" Emma tried to assure her.

Apparently, it didn't work.

"Help? _Help?!_ And where were you if we ever needed help during the last decade? While you've been… Well, who knows what you've been doing, I've changed every diaper. Soothed every fever. Endured every tantrum" Regina listed on her fingers, glaring down her nose at the blonde woman, "You may have given birth to him, but he is _my_ son".

"I'm just saying that..." Emma tried but Regina cut over her.

"No! You don't get to speak. You don't get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is? It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry and you're going to be held to that" Regina told her, deadly serious about that, "Now, I suggest you get in your car, and you go back to Granny's. I can't force you to leave this town, but I sure as hell can keep you away from my son. And if I see you within ten feet of him, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan".

Regina turned to go back into her house.

Before the blonde woman realised it, Emma's fragile control over her temper shattered.

"So that's your plan is it?!" she all but screamed at Regina, who whirled around, looking outraged, "You're going to just lock him up like he's your favourite toy? 'Only Regina can have him', it is _pathetic!_ "

"How _dare_ you talk to... " Regina seethed.

" _Shut up!_ " Emma yelled over her.

Regina looked stunned, but now that Emma had got going it was far too hard to stop.

"You listen to me lady. I don't care if you threaten me. You can do that all you want. But just think on this, _your majesty_ , if you hold onto him too tight, all that'll happen is he'll resent you" Emma warned her, eyes flashing with anger, "And quite frankly, if you keep treating him like this, you'll _deserve_ it".

And with that closing statement, Emma turned and stormed off back to her bug.

Regina just stood there, watching her go, utterly speechless.

Almost swelling with fury, Regina eventually closed her jaw which had been hanging open.

How dare that woman say such things to her?!

She was the most powerful person in town and she _wouldn't_ be spoken too in such a way!

But one thing _did_ nag at her.

Miss Swan had called her 'Your majesty'.

Was it possible that… no, that was utterly ridiculous.

It had to be just a mere coincidence.

The idea that Miss Swan had figured out she was really 'The Evil Queen' was utterly ludicrous.

* * *

Emma mentally reprimanded herself as she flopped down into the driver's seat of her bug.

 _Nice going Emma. You just couldn't leave it, and now she'll be right back to hating your guts. So much for avoiding her bitchy moods… still, it only matters if I stay in this time, which I might not, and she had it coming. The bitch._

"Thank you" Emma said suddenly, starting the ignition.

Wade looked over at her, clearly surprised.

"What for lass?" he asked, perplexed.

Emma smiled softly at him.

"Just... for coming with me today. For helping me find Henry, for offering me a bit of support. It means a lot considering that we barely even know each other" Emma told him honestly.

Wade shrugged his shoulders modestly.

"Well, you needed a bit of help and I was able to give it, so why wouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because this world is a cold place and not everyone's as good as you" Emma told him honestly, "I mean it Wade. Thank you".

Wade still looked rather surprised for a moment, before he smiled tenderly at her.

"You're very welcome Emma" he said huskily.

For a single moment, Emma was tempted to lean in right there and then and kiss him. But she didn't. She just _couldn't_. Not yet anyway.

Not after how badly all her other relationships had ended.

She needed a bit more time before she was ready to get involved with anyone else again, and that was even assuming that Wade wanted to be involved with her. He wasn't the same man as Killian Jones after all.

Emma started driving, asking Wade where he wanted to be dropped off.

"Just take me to Granny's" he told her, "I can get myself home from there, and after the day you've had Swan, you look like you could use a rest".

"You're not wrong" Emma chuckled.

They drove in a comfortable silence for a while.

"You okay, Swan?" Wade asked, peering at her intently.

Emma nodded.

"Yeah... just thinking" she replied, honestly.

"Penny for them?" he teased.

That managed to get a smile out of Emma.

"Oh, my thoughts are worth so much more than a penny, buddy" she returned.

Wade laughed, and Emma relished the sound.

She smile faded however as she returned to her thoughts.

It was time to decide.

Whilst she'd managed to keep things pretty much consistent with the original timeline so far, Emma knew that the longer she stayed here, the further this new timeline would diverge from the old one.

The way she saw it there were two options.

Option one was that she could go battle with Maleficent right now, steal the bottle of true love magic that was hidden inside her, and bring magic to Storybrooke right now. Then she could try to convince Rumplestiltskin to find a way of splitting her and Hook from their past-selves, and open a Time Portal for them so they could return to the future.

Emma inwardly scoffed to herself.

Yeah, she could just _see_ that little imp falling over himself to help them. _Not!_

The downside of that plan was that it would leave the entire timeline thrown off course, and quite possibly give Regina the power to kill her past self since the Emma that was actually from this time didn't even believe in magic, let alone know how to wield it.

Yeah... better not go with _that_ option.

So that left option two.

Stay here and repeat these past few years of her life, make changes for the better, and try to keep everything she knew from falling apart. There was a reason that nobody else had ever suceeded at this time travelling nonense after all. If Emma changed things, then other things would change, and eventually the world she came from wouldn't even exist anymore.

It was a disturbing thought.

Emma wasn't overly thrilled by option two either.

 _But_...

How much crap had everyone she cared about been forced to go through the last time?

How many people _died_ when there were other ways that events could have played out?

Neal and Graham.

She had the chance to save them now.

And it wasn't just about the lives that had been lost. It was _all_ of it. Pan and Cora and Greg and Tamara and... _all of it._ Now that she knew what was coming, Emma could find ways to make things happen differently.

Make it so things actually ended _happily_ for once.

But what if it all blew up in her face?

She glanced over at Wade, somehow hoping that he'd just know she'd need some encouraging words of support right about now.

Wade looked back at her and smiled.

For a split second, Emma could have sworn she saw Hook, _Killian_ , looking back at her from behind those blue eyes, and she knew exactly what _he'd_ say.

 _I believe in you Swan_ , Emma heard Killian's voice say in her head, _I've yet to see you fail_.

She couldn't leave.

Emma realised that in that split-second.

She _couldn't_ leave this time.

Emma couldn't just leave him here, cursed and all alone. She had to stay with him, for Killian, for her family, and for herself.

This was an opportunity she just _couldn't_ toss away.

Emma nodded to herself, her mind made up.

She was going to stay in this time, and she was going to make the future better for _all_ of them.

It wasn't going to be easy, fighting against time itself and stopping it all from falling apart, but Emma was nothing if not determined.

She was going to _win_.

* * *

Back at Regina's house, Henry was leaning against the window sill in his bedroom with his arms propped up by his elbows, head in his hands. He was looking out over at the clock tower.

His eyes widened when it happened.

For the first time ever, the hands moved past 8:15, and the clock ticked loudly.

Henry beamed in delight.

Time was moving forwards again, and that could only mean that the saviour was staying.

It appeared that the final battle had just begun.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Storybrooke Main Street, a woman was riding her bicycle through the cool October evening. She was a midwife at Storybrooke General Hospital, and was headed there to start her shift.

The woman's eyes widened in surprise when she sensed something in the air that no one else in the entire town could.

Grinding to a halt, the woman got off her bicycle, and glanced up at the clock tower.

8:16.

For the first time ever, the clock was reading 8:16. It had _finally_ started moving.

A grin that was positively wicked graced the woman's features.

A cruel laugh bubbled its way from her lips.

"It seems the day has finally arrived" she mused to herself thoughtfully, a malicious grin etched into her face, "And it seems that Emma Swan has just made up her mind".

The clock ticked loudly.

8:17.

The woman felt a breeze sweep through her long red hair, as time moved around her again for the first time in twenty eight years.

"The saviour and her cursed lover are staying in this time, probably to fight fate and change the future" the woman muttered to herself, "Well then - I guess it's _game on_. But the saviour should be prepared to lose. Because after all..."

She grinned an insane grin.

"Wicked always wins".

* * *

 **Yeah... that just happened ; )**

 **Woohoo! Zelena's in Storybrooke too. I'm not going to lie, Zelena is one of my favourite, if not my _absolute_ , favourite characters in Once Upon A Time, and I'm so excited that I have finally got to her : ) I have plans for her that are just... well, _wicked_ : D**

 **So Emma is staying the past to fight for a better future, which is what made the clock hands start moving, in case anyone missed that. I really want _that_ to be what made time start moving again rather than Emma just staying in Storybrooke like the original timeline : )**

 **And Wade... oh Wade. This curse persona is a kind-hearted man, isn't he? I AM planning on giving him some painful stuff in his curse-created backstory though : ) That WAS the whole point of Regina's curse after all.**

 **Now, I said I wanted you guys to give me your opinions on something, and I do.**

 **Most of you will probably remember that I outright stated that Graham will survive in this story, and that I also said that he was NOT be paired with Emma. I was very firm on that fact, and many people were happy with that decision.**

 **My question for all you now though, is who _should_ he be paired with?**

 **I REALLY want Graham to get a romantic happy ending as it would be just one example of the effects of Emma's time changes, but I have absolutely no idea who to ship him with. It's extremely ironic as I have another Once Upon A Time story planned for the future, an OC one, and Graham's that OC's True Love, but I want this story to be as different from this future project as possible, which is why I'm struggling.**

 **Which is where you guys come in.**

 **Please, pretty please, would you guys give me suggestions?**

 **I am open to literally any suggestion you guys can give me. Female characters, male characters, characters that aren't even human (for example; a mermaid, a giant, a fairy... etc.) - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and given serious consideration. It doesn't even have to be a character from Once Upon A Time. It can be any book or film character, hell, even a gender-swap of a character, and I'll just create a OUAT style twist version of that character if that's the case.**

 **The only characters he can't be paired with are those whose 'ships' I've already decided on for this story/series. Those are: -**

 **Emma Swan/Killian Jones.**

 **Snow White/Prince Charming.**

 **Regina Mills/Robin Hood.**

 **Belle French/Rumplestiltskin.**

 **Zelena/Hades.**

 **Ruby Lucas/Dorothy Gale.**

 **Those pairings might not all happen in this specific story, since I do have a sequel in mind, but honestly guys, ANY suggestion would be highly appreciated, and the more I get, the faster I'll get to work on getting the next chapter up, so if you want a quick update, you know what to do ; )**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review.**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


	9. Zelena's Second Chance

**Hey readers : ) So, here's the next chapter, we're really getting though them at the moment, aren't we? I hope I can keep this up : )**

 **I just wanted to say thank you for the response the question in the last chapter got.**

 **I've got some ideas now about the potential Graham pairing, but I haven't decided who I think will work best with him yet, but thank you so much to those of you who made suggestions, they were all really helpful : )** **Other than that, thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. Your support means a lot : )**

 **Please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, and** **I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

* * *

 **Zelena's Second Chance**

* * *

Zelena sat despondently in her cell, staring at the bars with suspiciously moist eyes, furiously fighting back unshed tears. She had failed. The heroes had defeated her.

All her hard work had been for _nothing_.

And to make matters worse; no matter how hard she tried, Zelena couldn't get Regina's damned words out of her mind. They just kept going round and round, taunting Zelena and making the Wicked Witch sick to her stomach.

' _Because I know why you did what you did_ '.

Zelena clenched her teeth, outraged that Regina even _dared_ to believe she understood her and what she'd suffered through.

' _We're much alike_ '.

Zelena felt bile rising up her throat at the notion.

No matter how many similarities Regina thought she could draw, the two sisters would _never_ be alike. One of them had all the toys, whilst the other was left with nothing.

That alone was enough to set them apart for life.

' _Our mother ruined you too_ '.

That... that Zelena could actually agree with.

Regina may have been made the queen, but Zelena had been spying on her all the time, and from what she'd seen, Regina's rein had hardly been a happy one.

Zelena's own life had been far from happy too.

And the responsibility of that fell squarely on their not-so-dearly departed mother's shoulders.

' _I know what it's like to not have the life you wanted. The life you feel you deserve_ '.

Zelena resisted the urge to spit on the floor in disgust.

So Regina didn't get to run off with the lowly stable boy? Boo-hoo. She still got to be royalty, due to the hard work and efforts of somebody else, and she never even _once_ said thank you to their mother for giving her _everything_.

' _Not long ago, I was a lot like you. I wanted to kill someone who wronged me. And I failed_ '.

That was a similarity that Zelena could also see. Yes, her little sister had failed in her somewhat childish quest to destroy Snow White, and _she_ had failed in destroying her little sister. Both sisters had been wronged, and both those damned people escaped unscathed.

Again, it made Zelena's stomach twist in revolution.

' _I'm gonna give you what I got. I'm gonna give you a second chance_ '.

The very idea of that caused a mirthless, hollow laugh to escape the Wicked Witch's lips. As if she wanted _Regina_ of all people to give her a 'second chance'.

There were no second chances in life.

You couldn't just stop and start again, _choosing_ to be different. Glinda had tried that with her and had failed epically.

But _that_ was what it had all been for. What she'd dedicated years of her life too.

Her magnificent Time Portal.

So that she, the only person in the history of magic to come all too close to succeeding, could go back in time and change the past. So that someone, namely her, could _finally_ have a second chance that actually had a cat in hell's chance of actually working.

But like always, Regina had ruined everything.

Now... Zelena had _nothing_.

No Magic. No future. No hope.

Regina had finally taken everything from her, and the worst part was, her little sister was all too willing to rub it in her face, mockingly giving her a _second chance_.

Too bad it would do her no bloody good!

With great difficulty, Zelena managed to stiffle a small sob.

It was just in time to save her ego too, for at that moment, Zelena jumped slightly as she heard footsteps approaching. Hastily turning her back to the bars, Zelena wiped her face, trying to muster some composure.

She heard the footsteps drawing closer, and Zelena let out a long suffering sigh.

"Regina?" she said without turning around, face set in a scowl, "I didn't expect you back so soon".

There was a silent pause... before...

"I don't imagine you expected me at all, dearie" a voice that was most certainly _not_ Regina's said darkly.

Zelena whipped around, shocked to see Rumplestiltskin standing outside her cell, hands behind his back, as calm as you like.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Zelena asked once she recovered from the shock.

"What do you think?" Rumple sneered condescendingly.

"You can't kill me Rumple" Zelena said, trying to sound confident, "I saw Regina take your dagger".

"She gave it to Belle" Rumple informed her.

Zelena couldn't help but roll her eyes.

 _'Dear God, being under the control of that pious little bookworm is a far worse punishment than anything I could ever dish out'_ Zelena thought to herself scathingly.

"And she wants me dead?" Zelena asked, knowing all too well that that goodie-two-shoes Belle wouldn't condemn her.

"No, of course not" Rumple gave a twisted mockery of a smile.

"Well then, you'll have to do what she wishes" Zelena said flippantly, "If she has the dagger, you have no choice".

"Yes. _If_ she has the dagger" Rumple agreed... before..."But she doesn't".

And from behind his back, Rumple revealed the Dark One's dagger, its curvy blade glinting under the lights in the sheriff station.

Zelena, eyes bulging in horror at the sight of Rumple holding his cursed dagger, leapt to her feet and pinned herself against the back wall of her cell.

"She only _thinks_ she does" Rumple leered at the powerless witch in the cell, "You see, um... my father taught me something, the only useful thing he passed on. A bit of sleight of hand called 'follow the lady'".

Rumple smirked, enjoying watching the reality of the situation sink in with Zelena.

After everything she had done to him, everything she had cost him; it was high-time she got a taste of her own medicine.

"Belle has a fake" he continued, whilst Zelena turned pale, "This, however, is quite real".

He waved the dagger through the air, and in the time it took Zelena to blink, Rumple had disappeared and rematerialised in her cell, towering over her, dagger in hand.

"Wait... wait" Zelena pleaded desperately.

Despite what she'd said to Regina about being killed to be put out of her misery, Zelena didn't _want_ to die. Not without ripping everything Regina ever had away from her first.

"I'm powerless now..." Zelena tried to reason with him, "R-Regina's got my pendant... My magic's gone... I CAN'T HURT ANYONE!"

Rumple took a few threatening steps closer, and Zelena had no where to run too.

" _Why?_ " she eventually asked in a trembling, broken voice.

"Because I promised my son his death would be avenged" Rumple replied honestly, his tone cruel and merciless, "And Rumplestiltskin... _never_ breaks a deal".

He plunged the dagger into Zelena's body.

* * *

A split second later, Zelena's eyes snapped open, and she gasped as she struggled to breathe.

 _That_ , Zelena decided, might have been one of the strangest dreams she'd ever had.

Snow White had finally gone into labour, which meant that the final stage of Zelena's plan could finally be put into action. She managed to kidnap the royal infant, and with all the ingredients in place, her Time Portal had began to open.

 _That_ was when the dream soured into an awful nightmare.

The heroes had arrived with Regina in tow. A powerless Emma and Hook, along with Prince Charming and Robin Hood, had all fallen.

None of them were a match for her.

She was about to defeat Regina too, but then, _somehow_ , Regina managed to change and her magic went from dark to light.

Zelena's defeat didn't take long after that.

The nightmare only got worse the longer it continued.

The heroes had thrown Zelena in a cell and Regina had paid her a visit. She taunted her with a second chance, as if that wasn't the exact thing that she'd just robbed her of. Zelena hadn't been able to get her little sister's words out of her mind.

For a dream, it was unnervingly realistic.

Then Regina was gone and Rumplestiltskin was in her place.

He gleefully informed her that the dagger Regina had apparently given to Belle was a fake, and that he had the real one. Then he was in her cell, and Zelena was powerless to flee or even defend herself.

And then... Rumple stabbed her with the dagger.

Next thing she knew, she was lying on her back, wincing as her eyes opened to see an unpleasantly bright light glaring down at her.

Zelena quickly shielded her eyes with her hand, before looking around herself.

The first thing she noticed was that she was in the sheriff station.

To be more precise, she was lying on the floor of the sheriff station. It was only when she was back on her feet did Zelena realise that she had no recollection of how she'd ended up there.

She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned so that she was facing the cells. She was more than a little surprised to see Rumple standing in one.

He had his back to her, but Zelena could see a silver glint in his hand.

With a jolt of horror, she realised that it was the dagger.

How the _hell_ had he stolen it back from her?!

It was then that Zelena realised that Rumple wasn't alone in the cell.

Standing before him was a figure that - Zelena stared in bewilderment - seemed to be a porcelain statue. In fact, Rumple was _stabbing_ the statue with his dagger.

' _Okay... this is just plain weird, no matter what realm I'm in..._ ' Zelena thought to herself, ' _Seriously, am I still dreaming?_ '

Zelena knew that if Rumple caught her, he'd likely kill her for controlling him with his dagger, but she _really_ wanted to get a better look at that odd statue.

She inwardly debated it for a moment, but her curiosity soon won out, and so as quietly as she could, Zelena shuffled sideways to peer around Rumple.

Her mouth fell open in shock.

It wasn't a statue of just anyone.

It was a statue of _her_.

Phantom pains suddenly flared in her stomach and Zelena couldn't help crying out, her hands flying to it, as everything clicked into place.

Her dream _wasn't_ a dream.

It had all really happened. A fraction of a second ago in fact.

That flash of pain was an after effect of being stabbed by the Dark One's dagger, Zelena was sure of it.

But if she'd been brutally stabbed... didn't that mean...

Was she dead?

Zelena shook her head vehemently.

No! She couldn't be dead! She was _there_ , she could see, and hear, and feel the cool air from the air conditioning unit and... Zelena froze.

No... she _couldn't_.

She couldn't feel the air blowing around the room, though she could see some papers on the desk fluttering due to it. She was breathing but no scent accompanied it. She experimentally moved her arms but her clothes didn't crease and her hair was fixed in place.

Zelena raised her hand to her chest, trying to feel her heartbeat, but did not feel the familiar drumming against her chest.

Genuinely frightened, Zelena looked down at herself.

She was wearing the same outfit as her porcelain duplicate, though there was a large hole in the exact same place where Rumple had stabbed her, and was _still_ stabbing the statue.

Then it dawned on her.

They weren't two separate entities. Rumple hadn't killed her and then created a copy of her for the pleasure of killing her again. No, no. Rumple hadn't even moved a muscle in all the time - or lack of time - since Zelena had regained awareness.

This was all the exact same second.

It was like it had been... _extended_... or looped somehow.

But what felt like several minutes to Zelena was less than a nanosecond to the rest of reality.

Zelena glanced back at the statue of her.

She tried to take a step forwards but gasped when instead of her foot connection with the floor like she'd expected, she flew forwards towards the cell door. Literally, _flew_. Looking down, she saw that her feet weren't even touching the ground.

 _'Oh god, oh god, oh god!'_ Zelena was on the verge of having a mental break-down, _'I'm dead... I'm really dead!'_

She raised her hand to strike the bars to release some of her building anger, but her hand harmlessly passed through them like they weren't even there.

She stopped and stared at her hand, before snarling and lunging fowards.

She sailed straight through the cell door and found herself hovering next to Rumple, looking at the porcelain version of her own face.

Zelena gently tried to brush her fingers against the statue's cheek but again failed to make contact.

She let out a sob but there were no tears.

You couldn't have tears when you had no body.

Clutching at her hair - it seemed like the only thing she could touch in this... ghost?... form, whatever the hell it was, was herself - Zelena let out a shriek of rage, frustration, and fear.

Why didn't she have a body?!

Why was she still here and hadn't 'gone on' like you were supposed to when you died?!

Zelena paused.

That was actually quite a good question.

From the vague studies she knew regarding death for magical beings - which weren't numerous considering magic couldn't raise the dead - being a ghost wasn't supposed to be like this.

Ghosts still had a form, not completely physical, but enough to be able to touch, to alter, to leave a mark on the world.

From the materials she'd read, it was nothing like _this_.

And that made Zelena doubt if she was really dead and truly gone.

 _'Okay... let's think this through'_ Zelena thought, calming down enough to start thinking rationally, _'Rumple murdered me... no... he's **still** murdering me, that second is still happening... so the dagger turned my physical body into that statue... so what does that make me? My... consciousness? My... life-force?'_

And that thought seemed to be the key, for no sooner had Zelena reached that conclusion, did time resume around her.

Zelena was startled when, with a grunt of exhilaration, Rumple began moving again. He twisted the dagger in the statue's - _her body's_ \- wound, before ripping it out.

' _Shit_ ' Zelena's eyes widened.

The statue began shaking and trembling, and then before Zelena's eyes, thick cracks began to erode into existence, originating outwards from the wound.

"No..." Zelena breathed anxiously.

The cracks widened, and the entire statue fractured. Then with a tremendous crashing noise, it shattered into a hundred million pieces.

" _NOOOO!_ " Zelena screamed in horror.

Just like he couldn't see her, Rumple also couldn't hear her. He was totally unaware that her spirit lived on in a more literal sense than the usual meaning of the phrase.

Zelena, eyes wide with shock, disbelief, and fear, stared at the pieces of china that had once been her body. Then they evaporated into nothingness.

It was like Zelena had never existed _at all_.

Again, she let out a sob but no tears could form on her face.

Sneering, his work complete, Rumple turned and exited the cell, walking straight through Zelena as he left.

"You bastard!" she screamed after him, "You fucking, insane _bastard_! I'm not finished Rumple! Enjoy this victory whilst it lasts, Dark One, _FOR IT WILL BE SHORT-LIVED_!"

Naturally, her words didn't reach Rumple's ears.

Once Rumple was gone, Zelena furiously tried to kick the bars of the cell. It didn't help with her building rage when her foot sailed clean through them.

Zelena sobbed, desperately shaking her head, as she tried to sit on the bed in the cell. When she fell straight through it, she huffed, and stood up, allowing herself to float over it instead.

 _'No, no, no, no... please, no. I don't want to be dead. I don't want to be dead'_ Zelena's mental state was quickly deteriorating, if that was possible, _'I still have so much I want to do... so much misery to cause... and Regina still has everything she doesn't deserve! My life's purpose is to rip it all away from her! I can't die without ruining her life first! It's not fair! I don't want to be dead yet! I shouldn't be dead yet! I can't just... **lose**! Wicked always wins!'_

" _No_..." Zelena growled, suddenly growing determined, her rage becoming the fuel she would use to overcome this, "I'm not beaten yet... I'm the Wicked Witch of the West for crying out loud! Wicked _always_ wins!"

And then Zelena suddenly knew what she had to do.

There was no point in her staying in Storybrooke in this sorry state.

She'd never be able to unravel Regina's entire life and destroy every little piece of it if she couldn't even touch the physical plane of existence.

She needed a form, and Zelena was resolute that only her original was good enough for her.

Getting her body back was her first priority right now.

The only problem was her body no longer existed, and with no magic, Zelena had no way of bringing it back from wherever the shards of it had disappeared too.

But that didn't matter, Zelena suddenly smirked.

Her body didn't exist _now_... but it did somewhere else.

Or should that be... it did in _another time_.

Again, her thoughts seemed to be the key to making events occur, for no sooner had the threads of an idea began to pull together in her mind, did the sheriff station around Zelena dissolve into a shapeless blur of colour, and reform an instant later into the cold grey stones of Regina's vault.

"Okay..." Zelena slowly said to herself, "... That's new".

She looked around the vault in bewilderment.

She didn't have magic anymore so she certainly hadn't teleported herself into the vault. And Regina would be a fool to leave it unprotected.

Perhaps that didn't matter.

Perhaps because Zelena didn't have a body anymore, but was a creature of consciousness alone, she had managed to bypass any protective spell or charm Regina might have cast.

It was hard to be sure.

Zelena had never heard an account of a person still existing without their body. She could only go on guess work.

But she still wasn't sure exactly _how_ she'd got there.

She thought back to the moment she'd dematerialised in the sheriff station.

She had just come to the conclusion that she'd need to steal her magic back somehow, and that thought had led her onto thinking about where Regina might have stored her pendant.

Then she was just... _there_.

Zelena paused.

Could it be that her mere thoughts had been powerful enough to bring her there?

Maybe that was it.

Zelena didn't have a physical form anymore, just a mental projection of one. Maybe the shock of her life-force being severed from her body had had the side effect of making her thoughts strong enough to actually affect reality, _because_ she couldn't do it physically.

' _Okay...'_ Zelena frowned thoughtfully, _'If the power of thought brought me here, it must be to reunite me with my magic. So where would Regina put my pendant?'_

Glancing around the vault, Zelena arched an eyebrow when the pattern of a cross on one of a series of small wooden draws lit up a ghostly green colour.

It was obvious it was there to guide her.

 _'My mind's more brilliant then even I thought'_ Zelena thought smugly, floating over towards the draw in question.

She couldn't open the draw without her body, but it quickly transpired that it wasn't even necessary.

A smog of ghoulish green smoke began seeping out from the draw, and Zelena watched as it snaked across the ground towards her.

Her gleeful smile only fell when instead of being absorbed into her... not her body, but whatever form she had taken on... the coil of magic swerved to avoid her and rose off the floor, rearing up like a cobra.

 _'It's not returning to me...'_ Zelena realised, thunderstruck, _'It's not returning to me! Why isn't it returning to its wielder?!'_

As if to answer her, the cloudy ribbon of magic quickly shot off, leaving a lingering trail of smog in its wake, presumably for Zelena to follow.

The Wicked Witch wasted no time in floating off after it.

* * *

Zelena really shouldn't have been surprised about where her magic led her too.

She had followed the ribbon of magical smoke all over Storybrooke, before finally realising that it was leading her in the direction of the barn where she'd enacted her time travel spell just a few hours ago.

When Zelena and her magic were in the barn, she watched as the ribbon of magic engulfed the pattern she'd forced Rumple to carve out whilst he'd been under her control.

She felt a spark of magic different to her own in the air, and in complete amazement, Zelena watched as four pulses of light burst into existence.

The Wicked Witch knew what those four bursts of light were immediately.

They were the residual traces of the four totems she'd used to enact her spell.

Courage. Wisdom. Love. Innocence.

Four elements in perfect balance, now radiating _extremely_ powerful magic.

The minuscule magical traces of her totems, mixed with the raw, unrestrained force of all of Zelena's own magic; exploded together and formed a vortex of blinding light, that expanded upwards from the ground, burst through the roof of the barn, and extended high into the sky.

Zelena couldn't hold in her joyous laughter.

It had worked!

All her research, all her scheming and plotting, all the time she'd waited, it had all _worked_!

It _hadn't_ all been for nothing!

Again, Zelena wished she had a real body so that she could have tears. It was about time she got to cry tears of joy for a change.

Nothing could stop her.

Now, she could _finally_ rip Regina's entire life out from under her.

 _She'd_ finally get the life she deserved and Regina would get _exactly_ what she'd had coming to her since her first breath.

Zelena slowly approached the edge of the time portal.

She was moving slowly because she really wanted to savour this moment.

The moment that wicked won once and for all.

As she drifted forwards, images and memories raced through her mind as she thought about everything she'd ever done, all of it leading to this moment.

Her destiny.

 _Her time in Storybrooke, gathering her totems whilst keeping her enemies running around in circles. They thought they had defeated her. They were fools for believing that she could lose._

 _Getting her revenge on Rumplestiltskin for picking Regina to cast the curse instead of her. It was so ironic that Rumple had done so much to be reunited with Baelfire, only for Zelena to effortlessly kill him. Revenge had never tasted so sweet._

 _The satisfication that came from choosing to be wicked instead of believing she was doomed that way. Tricking Dorothy and banishing Glinda for offering her false hope had also felt rather satisfying._

 _Learning that she had a sister who got everything Zelena had ever desired and didn't even appreciate or deserve it. The white-hot, primal anger that had consumed her from that moment onwards._

 _The man she had called Father telling her that she wasn't his blood child and the sting that went with it. That feeling of being lost and abandoned. She'd never quite shaken that off. She'd just... learned to conceal it._

 _A dream of being an infant, left all alone in a little basket, before being swept away in a swirl of green light, a cyclone carrying her to the path that led to her destiny..._

The barn's doors burst open, startling Zelena and causing her to fly back from the edge of the portal.

Spinning around, Zelena swelled with disbelieving fury as Emma Swan and Captain Hook were sucked across the floor towards the portal.

"Oh it would be you two, for _fuck's_ sake!" Zelena yelled at them angrily.

Naturally, they couldn't hear her.

She watched as Hook grabbed Emma's hand, before slamming his hook into the ground, halting their fall.

Emma was dangerously close to the portal. Her legs were already inside the light field.

"Well you're too late this time, dears" Zelena taunted, despite knowing they weren't even aware of her presence, "My portal is open once again, and this time you don't have Regina with you. Now _nothing_ can stop me from changing my past".

"Hold on!" Hook yelled over the tremendous noise.

Zelena watched as Emma grunted and strained and screamed with the effort it took just to hold onto the pirate.

"I can't!" Emma screamed back.

Zelena giggled. This was actually quite amusing.

Watching Emma Swan in a dangerous situation was certainly doing wonders for the foul mood Zelena had spent most of her abnormal evening in.

"Oh hold on dear" Zelena clutched at her chest, performing a mocking show nobody would ever witness, "Don't let go Emma... you can't leave the one-handed wonder all alone!"

She cackled as Emma's grip slipped, and she vanished into the portal.

Her delight only grew at the devastated look of horror on Hook's face.

"Well go on then" she taunted, despite the world being deaf to her, "Follow her like the love sick puppy dog we all know you are".

She saw his eyes flick towards his hook, and heard him sigh.

Zelena immediately knew what the pirate was going to do next.

"One of these days, I'm gonna stop chasing this woman" Hook sighed, ripping his hook out of the ground.

The portal quickly consumed him.

"Well, well" Zelena chuckled, eyes on the spinning orange funnel of light, "Guess I won't be the only one taking a little trip. Not that it matters. By the time I'm done, this game will already be won. By _me_ ".

With that, Zelena stepped into the light.

* * *

 **And there we go ; )**

 **I wanted to stop this one before we actually saw Zelena in the past, because... well, she's gonna change some stuff : )**

 **Honestly, I am SUPER excited to see how you guys are going to react to something Zelena does in the past which means quite a change in the present, but I won't say anything more... I don't want to spoil the surprise.**

 **Now, here's something I'm curious about. Do you guys like it when I post questions to you readers to get your thoughts and opinions?**

 **I mean, they're always welcome, and I do try to take every review on-board whilst writing, but I always seem to get a massive response whenever I ask a specific question about a specific subject, and those reviews tend to spark new ideas and thought processes.**

 **Is that something you'd like to see more of, because I'll start putting specific topics/questions up if you guys want me to.** **Let me know what you think about that because I'm genuinely curious.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review.**

 **Until the next time, keep on reading : )**


End file.
